Through the Years, Season 8: The Alola League
by Evanibble
Summary: After leaving Kalos, 23-year old Niko and his friends, Charlotte and Warren, travel to the region of Alola on a vacation to meet up with their friend JJ. Along the way, they meet a man named Kukui and learn about the Island Challenge. This is their story of competing in the trials on the islands of Alola, and the people and Pokemon that they meet along the way. Enjoy!
1. Alola!

**Episode 1: Alola!**

"Niko! You need to wear something!" Charlotte said as she pointed to the apparel shop across the street.

"What? Jeans and a t-shirt don't work?" Niko said, looking down at himself. He brought the kind of clothes he normally wears—a plain t-shirt, standard jeans, and some tennis shoes. Around his neck was his pendant holding his Key Stone, a necessary item for mega evolution, which was odd since he didn't have any of his Pokémon with him at the moment.

"Well, it's a nicer climate…" Charlotte said, moving some of her brown hair behind her ear. She has abandoned the normal t-shirt/forest green sweater and fitted jeans for a light-colored (and light weight) shirt with pale orange shorts and sandals. She looked far more "Alolan" than some tourist like Niko.

They had arrived in the Alola region several days prior, but it only then dawned on Charlotte then that her boyfriend needed to change his attire a little more, especially if they were going to travel to meet JJ, Niko's old friend and current Pokémon daycare owner. They had noticed that, primarily due to the temperate climate of the island there were on—Melemele Island—that the clothes they were so used to wearing in Unova and Kalos (and for Niko four other regions before that) weren't going to fly, or even feel comfortable. During those few days on Melemele Island, Niko complained—albeit sparingly—about how hot he felt. After a while, Charlotte decided it was time for a wardrobe change, even if it was temporary.

And so, the young couple found themselves in Hau'oli City's main apparel store. Niko didn't quite remember the last time he shopped for clothes—Kalos, maybe? Right before their journey really took off? —but nevertheless he had Charlotte, who knew slightly more about clothes than he, to help him out.

It wasn't hard, either. Niko just needed new shirts, shorts, and probably a pair of sandals, since they were on a coastal city, and found themselves spending an inordinate amount of time at the beach. After spending nearly a minute choosing a color, Niko settled on a pale blue shirt and black, loose-fitting shorts with a simple pair of sandals. He also bought a pair of sunglasses, and Charlotte found herself a light green cap. As he was paying, he thought of something.

"Hey, Charlotte," Niko said, turning to his girlfriend. "Where's Warren?"

"Oh, uh…" Charlotte said, looking around as if she had lost a child. "I—I don't know, actually."

"Maybe we should go looking for him, then," Niko said as he finished paying. The couple left the apparel shop, Niko found a place to change, and they were on their way.

On their way, Charlotte saw what looked like a photo studio. Peering in, she looked and saw that, indeed, it was some sort of photo-related service. Turning to Niko and pointing to it, he shrugged and nodded. "Do you want to take a picture together?"

"I mean…we don't have any…" she said, shrugging. "But if you don't want to, I'd like to with Noibat," Charlotte said, pulling out a small pokéball from her pocket containing the Sound Wave Pokémon. She took a page from Niko's book and decided to take along her least experienced Pokémon so that they could see the world. In this case, it was the small, dragon-type bat with massive ears. This is where Charlotte, after owning the bat for a few months, discovered that Noibat had a voracious appetite, eating its weight in malasadas, one of the signature foods in Alola. She—Noibat—enjoyed the sweet malasadas made of pecha berries. "Noibat, come on out," she said. Amidst the chittering sound it made, Charlotte kindly asked. "Would you like to take a picture with me?"

Noibat tilted its head in confusion, as she clearly had no idea what it was. Charlotte led her inside, with Niko following closely behind, and showed Noibat example of pictures.

"They just capture a moment in time—memories," she said, "family, friends, trainers and their Pokémon," she turned to Niko, "couples…they all take them."

Noibat chittered quickly, indicating a rush of energy, usually either joy or excitement of some sorts. Charlotte, understanding this, nodded happily, and walked over to the woman at the counter—a tall, dark-skinned, dark-haired woman with light purple earrings, and requested a photo. The woman nodded and showed Charlotte and Noibat to the studio and, within minutes, they took a slate of pictures. Then Charlotte waved over to Niko.

"Niko? C'mon! Let's take one together!" Charlotte said.

Niko waved it off. "I'd prefer not to, actually," Niko said with a nervous smile. He wasn't one for pictures. Charlotte, not seeming to understand this, frowned slightly, but quickly hid it as she showed Noibat their picture.

"With a portable camera, you could take pictures anywhere!" she said, which seemed to really excite the Sound Wave Pokémon. Another few minutes later, and the couple—and Noibat—continued their search for Warren.

Niko and Charlotte didn't say much during the remainder of their expedition to find their friend. Niko was lost in thought regarding how his girlfriend felt about his actions—was he too harsh? Dismissive? Why did she care so much about a photo? They saw each other all the time, why would she need one?

It sounded like a silly question to ask in his head, and he felt stupider for even considering it. Of course there's a reason to take pictures! Niko distinctly remember the one he, Fay, Brittany, and JJ took back when they visited Cianwood Island in Johto. He's taken a couple with his Pokémon since, but far and few between. Coming to a conclusion, Niko felt better. He figured Charlotte was going to come to the same realization that he did—that they didn't have to take one then, and maybe they would in the future.

Eventually, the couple found Warren standing at the Marina—the harbor in Hau'oli City—leaning over the railing and talking with a man neither Niko nor Charlotte recognized. When Niko slapped him on the shoulder, Warren turned to see them.

"Niko!" Warren said, checking his friend out briefly. He was wearing athletic shorts and a floral buttoned shirt that covered his broader build. A cap turned backwards sat lazily atop his straight, brown hair. "Wow, you changed."

"Blame Charlotte," Niko said. "Where've you been? We've been looking all over for you!"

Warren pointed to the man standing next to him. "Been talking with Professor Kukui."

"Alola cousin," Kukui said, holding out his hand. He had a fit, muscular physique with dark eyes, black hair, a man-bun and a long goatee. He wore a white hat with a rainbow decoration on it. He wore glasses with a teal frame, a white lab coat with rolled up sleeves, grey baggy pants with a teal stripe down the sides and at the top, and teal sandals with a white outline. He wore a white ring on his left wrist, and a grey ring on his left ring finger. "That's how you say 'hello' here in Alola! I'm Professor Kukui, expert in Pokémon moves. And you two are?"

"I'm Niko, err…Alola."

"Charlotte, Alola. This is Noibat."

"Niko, Charlotte…got it. And Alola, Noibat! Sweet, bros. So you two know Warren?"

"Yeah, we've been travelling together for a while now," Niko said, throwing his hands in his pocket instinctively.

"Travelling, eh? Where've you been?" Kukui asked. Niko looked to Warren and Charlotte first—he'd rather not answer.

"We've been to Unova and Kalos," Warren interjected, "And Niko's been to a few more places."

"Unova, Kalos…wonderful places, not like Alola, though. What brings you here?"

"I have a close friend of mine living on Akala Island," Niko said. "He runs a daycare."

"Ah…that's right, about a year or so ago we got a new dude out there. Olivia, the Kahuna of Akala Island, mentioned it to be briefly, but I didn't snag much of the details."

"Kahuna…?" Charlotte asked. At the hearing of the word, as if he could recite everything there was to know about a Kahuna, Kukui perked up and smirked, flashing his pearly white teeth.

"Neither of you are from around here, so makes sense you've never heard of Kahunas or the Island Trials," Kukui said. Before Niko or Charlotte could further question him, he smirked and began walking off of the Marina. "Follow me, dudes. I'll explain more on the way."

"Where're we going?" Niko asked.

"My place. It's just outside of Hau'oli City, near the Melemele Sea," Kukui said. Warren started speed-walking to catch up to the Professor, and Niko and Charlotte followed. As they walked through the streets of Hau'oli City, Kukui continued. "The Island Challenge is, essentially, what Alola has in place of Pokémon Gyms. Have you competed in gyms before?"

"Yes, both of us," Charlotte said, "Niko actually won the Lumiose Conference in Kalos."

"Oh?" Kukui said, eyes wide, "Then this is just the thing for you, cousin. The Island Challenge requires trainers—as the minimum age of 11—to travel across all four islands of Alola and complete various trials on each.

"Each trial is now headed by a trial captain. That hasn't always been the case, but in the past few years or so I've worked with the Kahunas to find capable captains to manage and operate each trial."

"Are they Pokémon battles?" Niko asked.

"Yes, but not entirely. Some will have other tasks, like searching for something. But in order to complete every trial, the challenger must challenge and defeat what's called a Totem Pokémon. They're larger forms of specific Pokémon that guard a special item that challengers may use when they complete the trial. Once you've completed every trial on an island, you may challenge the Kahuna in the Grand Trial. Defeat the Kahuna, and you can continue on to another island."

"Wow…" Charlotte said. She, clearly, had no idea that there were other types of challenges outside of Pokémon Gyms or Contests.

"Yeah, they're certainly a different concept to trainers who come from other parts of the world, but they're central to how Alola functions. Our trials are based on strengthening the bond between people and Pokémon. It's a rite of passage for most young trainers. And so, at the end of every year, we hold a tournament to see which Island Challenger is the strongest. It's sort of like a Pokémon League that you three are more familiar with."

"And you have to complete all of the trials to compete in the tournament?" Niko asked.

"Of course. There are eight trials in total, and four Kahunas on the four islands—Melemele, Akala, Ula'ula, and Poni."

"How is a Kahuna chosen?" Warren inquired.

"By the island deity. Alolan myths center around four guardians that protect the islands and the region at large. They can also be referred to as 'The Tapu.'"

Niko and Charlotte were silent for the rest of the walk to Kukui's house, which wasn't much further away. It was clear to both of them—even though they didn't express it to one another—that there was a reason why Kukui, of all people, was talking with them. Something didn't seem right.

"Professor, why are you telling us all of this?" Niko wondered.

"Because you asked, cousin!" Kukui said, flashing his teeth again. "And Warren wanted to tell you guys about it!"

"Huh?"

"I explained it to him just before you two love-birds showed up. He said it might be something you would be interested in trying out. Am I wrong?"

"N-no, you're not," Niko said, looking out onto the sea as they approached a shack a quarter of a mile from the beachfront. It was a small, seemingly single-story abode. Kukui walked them through the front door and inside.

His home wasn't extravagant, by any stretch of the imagination. But it was comfortable. A massive fish tank with luvdisc swimming around sat in the far back-right corner with a step-ladder that led to a loft that looked like it hadn't been used in ages. In the far-left part of the house was a kitchen with a spiky-haired woman cooking.

"Burnet! We have company!" Kukui said as he walked inside with the trio in tow. The woman named Burnet turned and flashed an equally radiant smile that rivalled Kukui's. Her skin, like Kukui's, was tanned. She wore a grey vest and black semi-legging pants. She wore green flat shoes and a green headband at the back of her head. On her neck was a silver necklace, with what looked like a wedding ring in the middle. "This is Niko, Charlotte, and Warren. They're from Kanto and Unova."

"Oh! Alola! Unova? I studied there. And Kanto…we used to have a boy here who was from Kanto, right Kukui?" Burnet asked in a calm tone. Kukui nodded in agreement, and she continued speaking. "What brings you three to Alola?"

"We have a close friend working on Akala Island, and figured we'd visit him. We haven't gone there yet, but the visit is doubling as a vacation of sorts," Niko replied.

"They're also interested in the Island Challenge," Kukui mentioned as he side-hugged Burnet and walked into the kitchen to grab a malasada.

"Oh! Excellent!" Burnet said, clapping her hands together. "Have they met Hala yet?"

"Not yet, I was thinking of taking them to the Trainer's School in the morning to meet Ilima," Kukui mentioned. "He's probably a better person to talk to, at least initially, and with Hala out at the moment…" Kukui stopped himself and turned to the trio. "Before we eat—you three are welcome to stay here, by the way—I'd like to show you two something else," he said, pointing two fingers at Niko and Charlotte. "Come with me, cousins."

Niko and Charlotte exchanged curious looks before following Kukui. Warren, even though he wasn't specifically requested, followed along as well.

Kukui walked into another room and came out with a small briefcase. Opening it up, he revealed three pokéballs. "I'm now responsible for handing out starter Pokémon to young kids who start their Island Challenge. There are occasions where a new trainer might not need one, but if you are both interested, you may choose one."

"You're just going to give us a Pokémon?" Niko asked. Previous professors he had met had done the same thing, and so it wasn't unusual for Niko, but it seemed to happen so fast.

"Yeah, dude. Warren told me you have a wide collection of Pokémon, but didn't bring any with you," Niko turned to Warren, surprised by the amount of detail his friend went in to explaining his life to this stranger. "If I were you, I'd bring a Pokémon to an Island Trial," he said with a flashy smirk. "Anyway, here are the Pokémon I usually give to beginning trainers. The Grass Quill Pokémon, Rowlet:"

Kukui opened the first pokéball containing a young owl with a round body and short legs. Its plumage was primarily brown with a white underside and facial disc. It had large black eyes and stubby beak. Two leaves sprouted from its chest, arranged so that they resembled a bowtie.

He opened the second pokéball. "The Sea Lion Pokémon, Popplio:" he said, summoning a small, blue Pokémon with large eyes, a long, white snout with black whiskers, and a round, pink nose. Along its neck was a light blue ruff, which extended past its shoulder. It had four flippers, with the front ones being bigger than the hind ones.

"And, finally, the Fire Cat…Pokémon?" Kukui said, opening the pokéball. But nothing came out. "Uh…Burnet? Where's Litten?"

Burnet's head popped into the room, looking just as curious. "Oh! I think he's outside 'looking for prey,'" she said in a playful voice.

Kukui laughed. "Right. This little thing, I swear…" Kukui said, walking out of the room. By the time he had left, the rowlet was already perched on Charlotte's shoulder, for whatever reason. When Niko noticed this, and then Charlotte's expression, he realized he had never seen her happier.

"Niko…" she said silently as she heard the Grass Quill Pokémon snoring. "It…is…adorable."

"It really is. And I think it likes you," Niko said.

Charlotte quickly nodded, her eyes sparkling and her face turning light pink from the clear affection from the tiny owl. Meanwhile, Warren was sitting on the ground playing with Popplio. Realizing he had nothing else to do, and that Kukui was taking a while to return, Niko set off to find the professor just after the sun set over the sea.

After a short search, he saw Kukui and Burnet watching a small, black and red kitten crouched low to the ground, clearly peering at something through tall grass with its large, yellow eyes. Suddenly Niko heard a rustling, and the kitten leapt into action, tackling the strange Pokémon to the ground before getting stricken by what looked to be a thunderwave.

Instinctively, Niko rushed into the tall grass before Kukui and Burnet could, reaching down and picking up the red and black feline. He then noticed a pichu run out, clearly scared of Niko's intervention. Yellow sparks surrounded the cat as it struggled to move.

"Kukui, we need to help it," Niko said, turning to the professor.

"Indeed we do. Come inside. By the way, say hello to Litten, the third Pokémon I give out to trainers," Niko looked down at Litten, the Fire Cat Pokémon, and smiled. Even though it clearly looked like it was in pain, it was an adorable little Pokémon.

Once inside, Niko lay Litten down on a nearby couch while Burnet administered some sort of spray to the Fire Cat's torso. Charlotte, Warren, and the other two starter Pokémon walked out to see Niko sitting next to Litten, watching it heal up.

"Is it going to be alright?" Niko wondered.

"Of course. This Litten in particular is notorious for going out and 'hunting' other Pokémon, so we're used to taking care of it," Burnet said. "Kukui has owned a fair amount of them over the past few years, but this one especially enjoys battling. Whoever takes it as their own will already have a head start."

"Why don't you take it, Niko?" Warren said, the popplio at his side.

"Maybe," Niko said, petting the Litten as he began to move again. "Hi, Litten, I'm Niko. I'm thinking of taking on the Island Challenge, and I was wondering if you wanted to join me in it. I watched you fight that pichu—you seem to be very eager to battle. I can help with that."

Litten looked up at Niko as he lightly purred from being scratched behind his ears, clearly trying to take in everything Niko was telling him. He then turned to Kukui, and his fellow starters. Rowlet was sleeping, and the Popplio was sitting on the ground with a curious expression.

It looked back up at Niko and nodded.

"Wonderful!" Kukui said, handing Niko a pokéball. "You'll need this. Charlotte, I take it you're choosing the rowlet?"

"Yes!" Charlotte said excitedly, accidentally waking the Grass Quill Pokémon up. In its state of confusion, it accidentally smacked Charlotte's face with its talon and flew off into the air, flying around the house frantically. "Rowlet!" she shouted, holding out its pokéball and returning it. "Guess I'll need to work on that…eheh."

"And that'll leave Popplio for whichever beginning trainer comes to visit me next!" Kukui said, picking Popplio up and giving it a reassuring smile. "Now, I think it's time to eat!"

Niko, Charlotte, and Warren each looked at one another, smiling. They had just started yet another journey, due entirely to a fortuitous meeting. They did not realize, however, how trying this particular journey would be for them.

* * *

 **Author's Note: New season! I'm excited about this one, as usual, and I can promise it'll be a little different, but not in radical ways i'm sure. I hope you enjoy it and the next episode.**

 **Also, I edited parts of the Kalos League to include a certain former rival. If you're interested, you can see Episodes 43-55 of Season 7 and, to save you some time, maybe search the word "Fay" to see what I edited in. ;)**

 **Enjoy!**


	2. Z-power!

**Episode 2: Z-power!**

"So today I'm gonna take you three to the Trainer's School. It's just down the road, on the outskirts of Hau'oli City," Kukui said. "There I'm going to introduce you to Ilima, the trial captain of Melemele Island."

"Gotcha," Niko said, finishing up his breakfast. He and his friends had spent the night at Kukui's house. Niko and Charlotte both slept on the long couches in Kukui and Burnet's living room, and Warren slept up in the loft. Before breakfast, Niko and Charlotte tried out training their newest Pokémon—Litten and Rowlet, respectively—but didn't get too far into their training before Kukui finished cooking and called them inside.

"I occasionally teach at the Trainer's School," Kukui mentioned. "I used to do it full time, but other…things have captured my attention," he said, turning to Burnet who nodded in response. "Anyway, I think you'll like Ilima. He's a good kid."

"Oh! Kukui, remember to give them the—"

"Right, right," Kukui said, finishing his own plate before standing up and walking into another room. A moment later, he came back with a red electronic device of sorts. It was in a square shape with a curved top and two pointed curves on each side. An elongated point rested at the top, and a black, blank screen was in the center of the device.

"What's this?" Niko asked.

"It's your pokédex. They're expensive to make, so I only have a couple on hand, but I think you and Charlotte might find it helpful during your journey in Alola."

"How do you…?" Charlotte said, taking the device from Kukui's outstretched hands and trying to turn it on.

"Heh, that's what makes this pokédex unique. Burnet," Kukui turned to his wife, who immediately whistled, releasing a familiar-looking Pokémon from an outlet. It was a rotom, the Plasma Pokémon that Charlotte had encountered during her trip through Kalos. "It's possessed by a rotom. When it's inside this pokédex, it can speak to humans. I've found it incredibly helpful, as have many other trainers who used it in the past. It will give you data on any and all Pokémon you might find in the Alola region, in case you need a quick reference."

"Thanks, Kukui," Charlotte said as she looked up at the rotom floating in front of her. All she did was hold the red device out, with the screen facing her, and the rotom went inside. She felt it rapidly vibrate before a blue loading screen appeared. Two blue eyes with white sclera appeared on the top corners of the screen. A small, curved mouth sat underneath the eyes. Two long, pan-like hands protruded from each side. It had two small, stubby red feet. "Err…hi."

" _Bzzzt….bzzzt…registering…registering…name?_ "

"Ch-charlotte," she said.

" _User registered: Charlotte. Pokédex now booting up….100%! Alola, Charlotte!_ " Rotomdex said.

"Alola Rotom…dex?"

Rotomdex looked at Rowlet, curiously perched on Charlotte's shoulder, and immediately floated over to it, clearly trying to get a good look at the green owl. " _Rowlet, the Grass Quill Pokémon. Grass and Flying type. It feels relaxed in tight, dark places and has been known to use its Trainer's pocket or bag as a nest_."

"Err…sounds like your shoulder is acting as a better nest right now," Niko said, holding Charlotte's wrist lightly. "Hi, Rotomdex. I'm Niko."

" _Niko…Niko…bzzzt…_ " Rotomdex said, trying to process another human. Eventually, it seemed to, leading the trio to believe that this particular rotom was slow to understand things. It turned to the side and downwards to face Litten, who was sitting on his hind legs licking his front paws. " _Litten, the Fire Cat Pokémon. Fire type. If you try too hard to get close to it, it won't open up to you. Even if you do grow close, giving it too much affection is still a no-no_."

"Noted, thanks Rotomdex," Niko said, giving the red device a look before looking down at Litten, who hardly seemed to recognize Rotomdex.

"What other features does Rotomdex have?" Warren asked.

"Well, it has a map feature, which you might find helpful for your Island Trials. Obviously a pokédex function—you can use voice commands to search for any type of Pokémon—these pokédexes are designed to have as much information as possible on any Pokémon out there. Burnet and I have been working on that for a while now. Rotomdex can also take photos, if you're into that. And, you haven't noticed it yet, but it does tend to have a personality, as it is still technically a Pokémon."

"It can't battle though, can it?" Niko asked, to which Rotomdex gave a terrified expression.

" _Bzzzt?! B-b-battle? Rotomdex does not battle, User Niko!_ "

"No, it doesn't," Kukui said with a sly smirk. "Anyway, let's take you to meet Ilima. I don't know if he's teaching today, but it probably won't matter either way."

"Why is that?" Charlotte asked.

"Because…Ilima, like myself, has a knack for taking detours in his lessons, as long as they lead to a meaningful teaching moment," Kukui said with a wink.

While they were walking down the road—the five of them, including Burnet—Niko looked around and noticed far more Pokémon in the trees and near the beach than he had the previous day. Small hummingbird-like creatures that Rotomdex called pikipek; familiar Pokémon like pidgey or starly; wingull off in the distance, gliding high over the ocean beyond. Alola was beautiful, Niko thought, but in a unique way. It was different from the usual landmasses that he had grown accustomed to travelling along. This would be different—he, Charlotte, and Warren would travel to different islands, meet different types of people and certainly different kinds of Pokémon.

The Trainer's School, like Kukui said, was relatively close, sitting just on the edge of Hau'oli City but still within walking distance of his and Burnet's house. The school itself was a collection of a few circular buildings that looked like giant treehouses. A race track sat to the far northern part of the campus, and a pool was to the south. Palm trees lined the area. As they entered the schoolgrounds, Niko and his friends saw dozens of children playing with one another and their chosen partner Pokémon.

"Ilima should be around here somewhere…" Kukui said, stopping to look around. "Ah! There he is!" he said, pointing to a tall male with tan skin and long, pink hair. He wore a patterned sweater vest with a white dress shirt underneath and white pants that barely made it down to his ankles. He also noticed Kukui and waved back. "Ilima!"

"Professor Kukui…" he said in a kind, calm tone, "welcome back. How are things?" he asked as he clutched a book in his arms.

"Good, good. These three," he pointed to the trio, "particularly those two," pointing to Niko and Charlotte, "want to participate in the Island Trials."

"Ah," Ilima said, looking at Niko and Charlotte before smiling. "Well done. I'm Ilima, by the way. And…you are…?"

"Niko. Err…Alola."

"Charlotte. Alola," the brunette said as she shook Ilima's hand. She noticed a white ring around his wrist, like the one on Kukui's. There was a white crystal sitting in the middle of it with two concentric circles, the outer one of which was broken.

"So…you both want to take on the Island Trials? Is there…anything that I can help you with?"

"They're not from around here," Kukui explained, "so they'll just need a place to start."

"And maybe more information on what exactly this Island Challenge is," Niko added.

"Of course. Actually, come with me. We can sit in my classroom and I'll explain. My students are having their lunch right now."

* * *

"So…" Ilima began, "as Kukui probably explained, the Island Challenge is a set of trials spread across all four islands of Alola—Melemele, Akala, Ula'ula, and Poni. When a challenger faces a trial, they will meet with the trial's captain. That captain will explain the task and, once it's complete, the challenger will face a Totem Pokémon. Defeat the Totem Pokémon, and you'll get a z-crystal."

"What's a z-crystal?" Niko asked.

"I'll explain in a moment," Ilima replied calmly. "Anyway, clear all of the trials on an island and you'll have the opportunity to face the Island Kahuna. Defeat them, and you will get another z-crystal and be able to continue on to the next island. Melemele, fortunately for you, is the first island, and there is only a single captain and trial here. I am that captain. Clear my trial, and you can face Kahuna Hala in Iki Town. Following so far?" Niko and Charlotte nodded. "Excellent. The trial site is in Verdant Cavern. If you want to set up a date to take on that trial, we can certainly do that, since I'm occupied with my responsibilities as a teacher and sort of have to plan these things in advance."

"Where is Verdant Cavern?" Niko asked.

"Just north of Hau'oli City. A couple day's travel by foot, and I'm sure you'll want to take time to train and prepare," to this Niko and Charlotte both nodded. "Anyway, you asked about z-crystals," this is when Ilima revealed once more the ring on his wrist. "This…is a Z-ring. It allows a trainer and their Pokémon to gather Z-power required to perform Z-moves. The moves come from z-crystals, which is this little thing right here," he said, referencing the crystal sitting in the middle of the z-ring. "This is normalium-z. You will receive this if you clear the trial in Verdant Cavern. It allows your Pokémon to use a move called breakneck blitz, provided that the chosen Pokémon knows a normal type move."

"It _has_ to?" Warren wondered.

"Indeed. Z-moves borrow power from other moves that a Pokémon uses and, through the z-crystal and their bond with their trainer, can utilize the full power of a z-move. However, you may only use one z-move per battle, since it exhausts the user much more than normal moves. It'll make more sense when you actually try it."

"Do only trial challengers get to use them?" Niko asked.

"Yes. So, if you and Charlotte plan to go to Verdant Cavern, then you may use z-moves. However, neither of you have a z-ring, I assume?" they shook their heads. "Well, I can get a couple prepared for you, for when I meet you in Verdant Cavern. They take some time, but I think Kukui can talk to Hala about it?"

"Yeah, I'll head to Iki Town later today," Kukui said. "He's got a couple sparkling stones laying around somewhere, I think."

"Of course. Thank you," Ilima said. "Now, let's decide on a date to meet at Verdant Cavern…"

Sitting across from Ilima at his desk, Niko, Charlotte, and the trial captain planned to meet in a few days. It would give the trio enough time to get to the site, plus prepare themselves for whatever Ilima had waiting for them there. By the time they finished, Niko sat back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"Niko?" Charlotte asked. "You alright?"

"Oh, yeah. Just thinking," he said calmly, but without much emotion. He was taking in everything he just learned. Z-moves…yet another powerful battling tool he would need to figure out. After the difficulties of understand not just ordinary mega evolution, but how the power affected him personally, made Niko slightly nervous. Sensing this, Charlotte lightly grabbed his arm and looked at him, her hazel eyes staring into his. He simply nodded, this time smiling.

"Before you go," Ilima said, standing up. "I'd like to request a battle. With both of you."

"A…battle…?" Niko asked.

"Yes. I would like to see if you're truly ready to handle my trial."

"I'll do it," Charlotte said. Niko turned to her, then back to Ilima, and nodded.

"Excellent. Let's meet on the battlefield, near the track," he said.

* * *

"This will be a one-on-one battle between Trial Captain Ilima and Niko from Pallet Town!" Professor Kukui said. "The winner will be the trainer to defeat their opponent's Pokémon!"

"Smeargle, let's go!" Ilima shouted, summoning a familiar Painting Pokémon.

"Litten, you're up!" Niko commanded, summoning the Fire Cat. Use ember!"

"Smeargle, block it with water gun," Ilima said calmly. His tranquil nature reminded Niko of Drasna of Kalos' Elite 4. The Painting Pokémon fired off a jet of water from its tail, which collided with the ember and created a light steam cloud. "Now, tackle!"

"Litten, scratch!" Niko commanded. Litten charged forward, colliding in the middle of the field with his opponent and slashing at it with his small, yet sharp claws. Smeargle simply lowered its head and crashed into Litten's underbelly.

"Now, use water gun!" Ilima commanded. While Litten was hurtling through the air, Smeargle raised its tail once more and fired off a burst of water that hit Litten's stomach, causing the fire Cat Pokémon to crash into the ground.

"C'mon, Litten!" Niko shouted. "You can do this!" Litten slowly got back up, growling at Smeargle, who seemed unfazed by it. "Use ember!"

"Dodge it, and use water gun," Ilima commanded, sternly this time. Smeargle spun to the left and fired off a quick water gun at Litten, who took the hit and was rocketed backwards, crashing and rolling onto the ground until it was just next to Niko.

"Litten is unable to battle, Smeargle is the winner!" Kukui declared. "The winner is Trial Captain Ilima!"

"Hmm…" Ilima said, returning Smeargle.

"This was Litten's first battle," Niko said, picking up the Fire Cat. "I literally got him yesterday."

"Oh? Well, fair enough. Charlotte?" Ilima asked, "Would you like to battle now?"

Charlotte, who was sitting on a bench with Warren and Burnet, nodded and stood up, holding a pokéball in her hands. She switched places with Niko, who had returned Litten to his pokéball. When she stood across from Ilima, Professor Kukui re-iterated the rules of the match. Then, she expanded her pokéball, and threw it.

"Rowlet, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning the Grass Quill Pokémon.

"Yungoos, you're up!" Ilima commanded, sending out a small, mongoose-like Pokémon. It was covered in brown fur with a yellow stripe down its back and underside. Its ears were short and rounded; its snout was short and pink; its mouth large and full of pointed teeth.

" _Bzzzt…_ " Rotomdex began, " _Yungoos, the Loitering Pokémon. Normal type. Its stomach takes up most of its long torso. It's a big eater, so the amount Trainers have to spend on its food is no laughing matter_."

"Thanks, Rotomdex," Warren said politely.

" _No problem…err…_ " Rotomdex said, struggling to remember Warren.

"Warren. My name is Warren," he said.

" _Right, okay. Registering…registering…user Warren_!" Rotomdex said excitedly, as if accomplishing a great task. " _If I must say, Niko and Warren, it looks like Charlotte has the upper hand, as yungoos have difficulty reaching flying Pokémon._ "

"Rowlet, use leafage!" Charlotte commanded. Rowlet flapped his wings, whipping up a stream of glowing green leaves that shot at Ilima's Yungoos, who quickly and agilely dodged before leaping into the air to use tackle. "Dodge it and use leafage again!" Charlotte commanded, realizing that's how she was going to win. Fortunately, Rowlet moved out of the way, allowing for Yungoos to continue through the air before crashing onto the ground, close to Charlotte, before taking another round of leafage.

"Heh," Ilima said quietly. "You think you can just dodge us forever?"

Ilima then held out his z-ring, the normalium-z sitting in glowing now. He then began to strike a series of poses, eventually holding his right arm at a right angle in front of his stomach and his left arm at a right angle just at his forehead. Yungoos stood up and did the same thing, striking similar poses.

"Breakneck blitz!" Ilima shouted as energy transferred from the z-ring, through him, and into Yungoos via powerful-looking streams of energy. Yungoos then got low to the ground and, surrounded by an orange aura, charged at Rowlet, leaping into the air faster than the Grass Quill Pokémon could react to. Rowlet was rocketed through the air from the force of the attack, flying several dozens of yards off of the field before crashing in a palm tree and subsequently falling to the ground.

"Rowlet is—" Kukui began to declare.

"Rowlet!" Charlotte yelled out, running as fast as she could towards her Pokémon, who simply lay in the grass in defeat. "Rowlet are…are you alright?" The little owl looked up and chirped softly before falling unconscious.

"We'll heal Rowlet up," Ilima said. "And Litten, too. Come."

"So…" Warren said to Niko as they walked off. "That's the power of z-moves…"

Niko simply nodded. He was, selfishly, glad that Ilima chose not to use a z-move on him. However, that didn't mean he shouldn't pay closer attention to it in the future.

"You and Charlotte will be able to use those soon!"

"Sure hope so…" Niko said, looking at Charlotte, who almost seemed distraught.

* * *

"Good luck on your journey to Verdant Cavern," Ilima said as he walked the trio, Kukui, and Burnet to the edge of the Pokémon School later that day. "I'll see you in a few days' time, when I test you in your first Island Trial."

"We're looking forward to it," Niko said, reaching out his hand to shake Ilima's. The trial captain responded with a smile.

"I sure hope so. And keep training that Litten. It looks eager to battle, it just needs for experience against other trainers."

"Couldn't agree more."

They said farewell before the trio turned towards Hau'oli City. It was sunset, and they had left most of their things in the Pokémon Center downtown.

"Professor Kukui," Niko said, now looking directly at the Professor, who was roughly his height. "Thanks for helping us out. And allowing us to stay at your house."

"Anytime, cousin. When you're finally ready to challenge Hala in Iki Town, let me know. I'd like to come watch your Grand Trial," he reached out to shake Niko's, Charlotte's, and Warren's hands. "Good luck."

Niko nodded and, with Warren and Charlotte by his side, walked off towards Hau'oli City. Now, he definitely felt like his journey was beginning, and in the right way. He could only hope Charlotte and Warren felt the same way.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Rotomdex and Z-power? A lot of "new" information in this episode. Next one: the trio starts their journey through Melemele Island. If everything goes as planned, the next episode will be a good one. Enjoy!**


	3. Kaila

**Episode 3: Kaila**

"Got everything?" Niko asked Warren and Charlotte as they left the Hau'oli City shopping district. Both of his friends nodded. They had spent the morning getting lost in the largest city in the Alola region, searching for things that they might need. During this time, Niko and Charlotte began to learn more about their newest Pokémon. Litten is not only an unusually independent Pokémon, but also one that loves rawst berries. Noticing this, Niko picked up a couple dozen and stowed them away in his bag.

Charlotte learned that Rowlet preferred to stay outside of his pokéball and, instead, in Charlotte's bag. Because the relatively large, but oddly very lightweight, Grass Quill Pokémon took up an inordinate amount of space in the bag, Charlotte could carry less, and wished then, more than ever, that she had her Gogoat with her. But, as she continued this line of thought, it was best for her to start fresh in Alola, save for her very inexperienced Noibat.

"I think so…" Charlotte said, picking up her sleeping Rowlet from her bag and checking for all of her supplies and extra pair of clothes. "Yup, I've got everything. You?"

"Yeah," Niko said, crouching down to pet Litten. "Ready to go?"

Litten nodded. The previous night, Niko and Charlotte tried explaining the Island Challenge to their Pokémon. Rowlet, of all of them, didn't need the explanation of z-moves, as he had experienced them firsthand. Litten seemed slightly interested in it, only to start bathing himself midway through. Noibat was by far the most interested. She had witnessed the Kalos League from a spectator's standpoint and, judging by her reactions to many of the battles, Charlotte gathered that the little Sound Wave Pokémon was eager to take on a league of her own one day.

As they went northwest out of Hau'oli City and onto route 2, Niko began to think about what the Verdant Cavern trial would look like. What would Ilima have them do? Regardless of what, they would have to battle some sort of Totem Pokémon. Niko and Litten would have to be prepared for that, regardless of the task prior to it.

And so, after lunch that day, after only a few hours of walking, Niko and Litten began training. As he usually did with new Pokémon, Niko had Litten try to work on dodging moves.

"Okay Litten, this is an exercise I got from an old friend of mine who, coincidentally, also trained a few fire Pokémon himself. It'll help you learn how to dodge moves, like so," Niko then began to jump side-to-side, each foot only standing on the ground for less than a second. "Just do this, a little bit every day, and you'll be able to evade most moves. Got it?"

Litten mewed before trying the exercise. He was a natural at it! Niko sat there, arms crossed, as he watched the Fire Cat do the exercise. Charlotte, since her Pokémon were both flying types, worked on something similar, but adjusted for aerial Pokémon that Niko had shown her back in Kalos, when he was training Fletchling. She was wont to believe him because, as she heard from other friends of his, he was more than used to training flying type Pokémon.

For a moment, Charlotte paused to watch Niko train with Litten. He seemed into it—more than he usually was. It was a different Niko this time around. He didn't seem as stressed out. He seemed happy.

This, Charlotte was of course unaware of, belied how Niko actually felt. More so, Niko hardly understood the root causes of a seemingly dormant stress that would manifest itself in due time.

"Hey Niko," Warren said, standing up. "Want to battle? Now your Pokémon are finally just below mine in experience."

Niko, smirking at how self-aware his friend was, nodded. "Litten, ready to try out our new techniques?"

Litten mewed and stood facing Warren, who turned to his Litleo and motioned for him to join Warren. "Litleo, use noble roar!"

"Litten, scratch!" Niko commanded. The Fire Cat charged forward, only slightly deterred by the Lion Cub Pokémon's loud and seemingly vicious roar. The two feline Pokémon then collided in the middle of the field, scratching and pawing at one another.

"Fire fang!" Warren shouted. Litleo, who while in Pallet Town mastered fire fang, bit down on Litten's front paw—the one he used to scratch with—and flung the tiny cat to the side of their makeshift battlefield. "Now, headbutt!"

"Litten, remember our training! Dodge it and use ember!" Niko commanded. Litten got back up, shook his head, and glared at Litleo with his big, bright yellow eyes. He then leapt to his right, moving out of Litleo's line of fire, and spit out a series of small fireballs that struck Litleo in the side. Unfortunately, the Lion Cub got back up and used noble roar again, this time having an effect on Litten, who looked more intimidated.

"Litleo, fire fang!" Warren commanded. Litleo charged at Litten, who tried to dodge a second time but wasn't quick enough. Litleo bit down on his torso and threw him towards Niko with an oddly impressive show of strength. "Now, finish it off with headbutt!"

"Litten, use ember!" Niko shouted, but it was too late. Litten didn't react in time, and was knocked out by Litleo's headbutt.

Niko walked through the grass and crouched down onto his knees. He tried to pick Litten up, but the Fire Cat got up on his own and walked off, electing to rest by a tree and lick his own wounds. Litleo tried to go and comfort him, but Litten hissed in response, intimidating Litleo this time and forcing the Lion Cub to walk back to Warren. Poliwhirl comforted Litleo while Leavanny offered to help Litten, but Niko urged the Nurturing Pokémon against it.

"I don't think now is the right time," Niko said, looking Leavanny in the eyes. She nodded, and continued practicing her sewing. While he sat there, watching Charlotte train with Rowlet and Noibat, he tried to consider new ways of training Litten. Ways to bring his confidence back up to where it needed to be.

A half an hour later, when Charlotte finished up with her training for the day, the trio returned their Pokémon and continued on towards Verdant Cavern. Travelling along route 2 gave them the opportunity to look at the western coast of Melemele Island. The sea was expansive and beautiful, Niko thought. He wondered what it would be like to swim across it on a Pokémon, and watch other creatures swim or fly alongside him.

"Hey, Warren," Niko said, turning to his friend. "You should include this sight into your journal."

Warren looked out at the sea before giving Niko a puzzled expression. "Gotcha. Anything in particular worth noting?"

"I mean, it's just beautiful, that's all," Niko said. "I grew up not far from the sea, but on my travels, I've always loved getting a chance to see it. Maybe I'll get tired of it one day, but for now I'm still in awe at it."

"I remember you saying something like that when we were in Unova. Makes sense," Warren said, "I'll keep a note of it for sure."

At sunset, the trio stumbled upon a run-down pathway to the east of them, leading towards the edge of the small mountain range that characterized Melemele Island. Looking down into it, Warren began to walk towards it.

"Warren!" Charlotte shouted. "Where're you going?"

He shrugged. "Let's check it out."

Charlotte sighed, thinking nothing good can come of this, and obliged. Niko, neutral in this, simply walked on with Charlotte, holding her hand as he sensed she was scared. "Thanks, Niko."

"No worries," Niko said in a plain, yet positive, tone. As they walked through the broken pathway, they noticed the trees were gradually losing their leaves. It wasn't yet autumn, which made the scene look all the odder. Before long, the trio stumbled into a small valley…filled with graves. There were very few people in the graveyard and, oddly enough, a young girl standing with an unfamiliar Pokémon. Above them, in the trees, Niko spotted a small group of gastly floating about.

"Okay, this isn't that scary," Charlotte said, "it's only a graveyard."

"I don't think it's out business to be here," Niko said. "Not that I'm scared, but we don't really have a reason to be walking around in a graveyard…do we?"

"No, you're right," Warren said, shrugging. "I thought it would be something more…uplifting, I suppose. I didn't expect a graveyard."

They turned back and walked away. Unbeknownst to them, they caught the young girl's attention.

* * *

That evening, the trio sat under a gathering of trees, around a small campfire conjured by Litleo. Litten refused to help, instead sitting away from the circle, presumably contemplating his back-to-back losses to Ilima's Smeargle and Warren's Litleo. Niko understood this, and wanted to have a talk with the Fire Cat. He stood up to approach Litten, only to see something off in the distance moving.

Now, it wasn't unusual for Niko and his friends to see moving creatures during their travels. That was all part of the experience. They even, on occasion, saw other trainers and travelers, and would occasionally challenge them to battles. But this was different. It was humanlike in its motion, and it certainly wasn't alone.

But it looked like it needed help.

Litten also looked up and watched Niko approach the strange things. Charlotte and Warren also turned to look, the former with an expression of concern.

"Niko…?" she said. "What're you doing?"

"Err…I can't explain," Niko said, walking through the night, only guided by moonlight, to find the creature that looked like it was stuck on something. When he finally reached the creature he saw, in the silver glow of the moon, a small girl.

She was young, likely of pre-teen or early teen age. She had curled, dark hair put up in a contorted ponytail on the back of her head. Her skin was dark, and her eyes an odd shade of hazel. She wore a long-sleeve which, in Alola's climate, was quite odd, and blue jeans to complete it. However, she didn't need help—she was just sitting there.

"Oh," Niko said when he realized the girl wasn't in trouble. "Sorry to bother you."

"Hmm?" she said, looking up at Niko.

"N-nothing. From a distance it looked like you needed help with something. My apologies."

"Oh, I can see why you'd think that, I guess," she said as she looked down at the grass. "It's dark and hard to see."

"Uh…is there a reason why you're sitting alone, without any light?" Niko asked.

"I like it this way," she said, almost solemnly. When she noticed Niko's bemused, and slightly frightened, expression, she hurriedly waved her hands in front of her. "No no! Not like that! I'm not creepy, I swear!"

Niko let out an audible sigh of relief. "Alright, good. I've seen people like that before," he held out his hand. "Alola. I'm Niko."

The girl looked up at Niko and cautiously shook his hand. It was cold to the touch. "I'm Kaila."

"What're you doing out in the middle of nowhere, Kaila?" Niko asked as he sat down next to her.

"I'm travelling with my friend. He's off hunting right now. He likes to hunt," she said with a longing smile.

"So…you're sitting alone, in the dark, waiting for a friend who is hunting," Niko repeated. "That's pretty odd."

"But not creepy, right?" she asked. Kaila seemed to talk in a childish tone, which made sense given what Niko assumed to be her young age.

"No, I guess not. Hey, would you like to join my friends and I? We've got a campfire over there," he pointed to Warren, Charlotte, and their Pokémon. "You can warm up, and we'll cook whatever food your friend brings back."

"Oh…no thank you," she said, suddenly looking nervous.

"Are you sure? I don't want anything to happen to you out here," Niko said, standing up and holding out his hand. Kaila hesitated, looking very nervous. She ultimately shook her head and stayed where she was.

"I—I can't," she said.

Niko barely managed to see her expression. It was one of fear. She was clearly scared of something, but he had no idea what it was.

"Alright, fair enough," Niko said with a smile. "It was nice meeting you, Kaila. Hope to see you around."

"You too!" she said, with a mixture of pleasantness and nervousness in her tone.

When Niko returned to their campsite, Warren and Charlotte both looked up at him with curious expressions. Niko explained the entire situation to them before immersing himself in his own thoughts. What an odd little girl, he thought. Who sits alone in the dark? Even weirder is that she doesn't even seem creepy or weird. She's just a normal girl, at least I think she is. Niko continued to look over to where Kaila was, and ended up spending most of the night doing so. He felt an obligation to watch out for her.

* * *

The following morning, Niko found himself waking up against a log. The fire in front of him was burnt out, and the sun was shining down on his face. Adjusting his eyes to the light, he looked up to see Kaila simply laying there—asleep. In the daylight, Niko realized that she wasn't as far from them as he thought.

"What's your sudden obsession with this girl?" Warren asked, surprising Niko.

"There's no obsession!" Niko snapped back. "I wanted to make sure she was alright, that's all."

"I getcha," Warren said, sitting down on the log and looking at her from the same distance as Niko. "She looks young," he said. "Very young."

"She never told me how old she was. Our conversation was pretty brief, actually."

"Either way, she's fine, and we should get going soon. We might be able to make it to Verdant Cavern today."

"Think so?"

Warren nodded. "Yup. I think Charlotte's awake and off training," just then, Niko noticed Kaila get up and walk off in an eastward direction, but still north of the cemetery that Niko and his friends had visited the day prior.

Charlotte came back minutes later and the trio began packing up. He then heard a scream and, moments later, saw Kaila and a small puppy running out of a set of trees, trailed by a group of small, black rat-like Pokémon.

"H-help!" she shouted. The puppy barked as well. They didn't run directly for Niko's camp, instead veering to her left and back towards where she had met Niko. Unfortunately, she backed herself into a corner on the edge of another forest parallel to the one she came from.

"What are those?" Warren asked, grabbing a pokéball from his belt and sending out Poliwhirl. Niko turned to Litten, who was still asleep, and sighed. Charlotte grabbed Rowlet's pokéball and summoned him.

"Bzzzt…those are rattata," Rotomdex said.

"No they're not!" Niko said. "I've seen rattata before, that's not them."

"Must be a variant," Rotomdex said, "Rattata, the Mouse Pokémon. Dark and normal type. It shows no interest in anything that isn't fresh. If you take it shopping with you, it will help you pick out ingredients."

"Regardless, we've gotta get those things away. Poliwhirl, use water gun!"

"Rowlet, leafage!" Charlotte shouted. Both elemental attacks burst forth, hitting the rattata variants and forcing them to turn their attention to the trio. Kaila then looked, and her eyes widened as she saw Niko running towards her.

"You alright?" he asked. She nodded, still looking frightened. "Well, let's get you on the other side of this," he said, motioning her to follow him. Moments later, he looked back to see that she tripped and fell, with her puppy trying to help her up. Niko turned and sprinted back to help her up. Initially, she refused the help, but relented when Niko simply grabbed her wrist and hoisted her up. "Come on," he said, holding her wrist as they slowly ran to the campsite. Underneath her thin, long-sleeve shirt, Niko felt something odd. As if something was wrong with her skin.

"Let go," she said, holding her wrist as Niko let go of her.

"I'm sorry," he said, and she looked away, as if offended. "Did I hurt you?"

"N-no…I just don't like people touching my arm. I'm sorry, I should have told you that."

"It's not a problem," Niko said with a smile. "Look, my friends got rid of the rattata," Kaila looked up and saw the rattata variants running off. Charlotte, Rowlet, Warren, and Poliwhirl all turned to look at Niko and Kaila. "Kaila, this is my friend, Warren, and my girlfriend, Charlotte."

"Alola…" Kaila said nervously.

"Alola Kaila!" Charlotte said, holding out her hand. Kaila hesitated, but eventually shook it with her other hand—the one Niko didn't grab.

"Th-thanks," Kaila added. "For helping me."

"Oh, it was nothing!" Warren said, "glad to help out!" he then looked down at the puppy. "That's a cute Pokémon you've got there. What's it called?"

"That's Ruffy," Kaila said, referring to the gray-colored puppy. It had large blue eyes and a fluffy, curled light gray tail. Around its neck was a sharply-frilled color with small rock-like objects of varying sizes, almost like studs.

"Ahem," Rotomdex said, "It's actually called Rockruff."

"Whatever, Rotomdex," Niko said. "Hi Ruffy, I'm Niko," he said. Ruffy looked at him and growled. "Oh…guess maybe he doesn't like me."

"It takes time for Ruffy to get used to anyone," Kaila said.

"Rockruff, the Puppy Pokémon. Rock type. As they develop, their disposition grows more violent and aggressive. Many trainers find them too much to handle and abandon them."

"Rotomdex…" Niko said sternly. "Shut. Up."

"No. I refuse."

"I've always wanted to see a Rotomdex up close!" Kaila said, reaching up to grab the floating pokédex. "My…err…parents could never afford to get me one, but I've seen them on TV a lot!"

"Where are your parents?" Niko asked. This seemed to offend Kaila, as she let go of Rotomdex and looked down at the grass for a moment. Ruffy began angrily barking at Niko.

"They, uh, live kinda far away."

"Then what brings you here?" Warren asked, this time sounding more sympathetic.

"Oh! I'm doing the Island Challenge!" Kaila said, perking up a bit. "My parents always wanted me to try them, and so I came to Melemele Island to meet with Hala. He allowed me and Ruffy the chance to try them out, so after Ruffy and I train a lot we'll go and challenge the first one in Verdant Cavern!"

"Really?" Charlotte asked with surprise. "So are we! We're actually on our way to Verdant Cavern!"

"Oh? Well…good luck!" Kaila said eagerly. "I hope you clear the trial! I've heard it's tough."

"Won't be for these two," Warren said, throwing an arm over Niko and Charlotte, "these two competed in the Kalos League. Niko here actually won it!"

Kaila's eyes lit up with fascination. "Really!?"

"Eheh…yeah. I did."

"Wooooooow!" she said. "You must have very strong Pokémon!"

"Well, not on me right now. All I have with me is my Litten," he said, referencing the small cat sleeping on the grass nearby. "And even he doesn't want to train right now."

"Hey, Kaila," Charlotte said, "Since you're doing the Island Challenge too, would you like to have a battle?"

"Me? Well, I…I just started, and Ruffy isn't very—"

"Ruff!" Ruffy barked at Charlotte, only in a more cheerful tone.

"I think Ruffy wants to battle," Charlotte said with a wink. A hesitant Kaila nodded, and the two made a makeshift battlefield, similar to the one Warren and Niko had the previous day. Warren acted as judge, while Niko sat with the other Pokémon, including Litten, and watched.

"Ruffy, let's go!" Kaila said with shaken confidence. Ruffy nodded, bounding forward and growling at Charlotte, who sent out Noibat in response. "What's that?"

"This is my Noibat," Charlotte said, listening to the Sound Wave Pokémon chittering. "I caught it in Kalos."

"Oh…uh, what type is it?"

"Flying and dragon, I believe."

"Oh, then I should have the advantage!" Kaila shouted. "Ruffy, use bite!"

"Noibat, screech!" Charlotte commanded, thrusting a hand forward. Noibat used the sub-woofer-like ears to emit a loud, ear-piercing sound that made Kaila and Ruffy scream out. "Now, gust!" Noibat quickly switched attacks, now flapping her wings viciously in an attempt to knock Ruffy onto his side. Ruffy got up and charged forward again, trying to push through the gust attack, and nearly get Noibat with a bite attack.

"Ruffy, use sand attack!" Kaila commanded. Noibat dodged this and used supersonic, emitting red rings from her ears that struck Ruffy. The Puppy Pokémon stumbled dizzily before turning to Kaila and charging for her. "No! Attack Noibat!"

"It's confused, Kaila," Niko said calmly as Ruffy tackled its trainer to the ground. Before it tried to bite her, she returned Ruffy to its pokéball and simply lay there, looking as if she were about to cry.

"I've got this," Charlotte said, jogging over to Kaila, helping her up, and consoling her. "It's okay, these things happen," Noibat chittered sadly, clearly aware of what it did wrong. "We need to hone our own moves, too. Noibat and I are sorry."

"N-no, it's not you," Kaila said, sniffling, "I wish Ruffy and I were stronger."

"And you will be. Trust me. It just takes time. And a lot of practice," Charlotte said. "The fact that you're even doing the Island Challenge is an accomplishment in itself. Your parents should be very proud of you."

"I—I hope so," Kaila said.

"I know so," Charlotte replied, helping her new friend up. "If you'd like, Niko and I can help you and Ruffy train."

"I th-think I'll try it on my own first. Thanks, though," Kaila said. She was roughly Charlotte's height, and the two locked eyes for a moment before Charlotte reached out her hand and shook it. "I'm gonna go and look for Pokémon to challenge, and when I'm ready, I'll find Ilima and ask him to take on his trial!"

"That's the spirit," Charlotte said.

"Well, I'm going to go now. It was nice meeting all of you," Kaila said, waving to Niko and Warren, and then Charlotte, before summoning Ruffy and walking off.

"That was an abrupt leave," Warren observed.

"She's an independent young girl," Charlotte said, "who has a lot on her to-do list. I respect that."

Niko nodded in agreement. He watched Kaila walk off, noticing that she had a slight limp on her left side. Shaking the thought away, concluding that it was merely just from her falling over a few times that day, he got back to packing up their campsite. Soon enough, he and his friends would reach Verdant Cavern, and take on their first trial.

* * *

 **Author's Note: The struggle with this episode was introducing Kaila. Hopefully that came off well enough in this episode. I'm interested in how she will develop in this series. So far, she's set to be my favorite rival. Enjoy!**


	4. The petal trail

**Episode 4: The petal trail**

Niko and Charlotte stared into the tunnel that, they presumed, led to Verdant Cavern. They had finally made it to their first trial site, only a couple of days after meeting Ilima. However, it was not the date they had set—the trio had arrived early.

It was evening, and the three sat down around a campfire nearby to rest and relax. Much of their walk that day—starting after meeting and saying farewell to their new friend, Kaila—was walking uphill through the western forests of Melemele Island. They didn't see much of the sea by this point due to their need to go more inland towards the mountain range that Verdant Cavern was a part of.

Niko and Charlotte got some training done during this trip, only stopping once for an hour or so. Niko wanted to try again with Litten, and for a while he felt like the two of them were making progress. A practice battle—a rematch—with Warren's Litleo proved this progress to be ephemeral at best, as Litten fell back into his previous mood and independently licked his wounds while Niko considered another course of action.

He needed another Pokémon—something, someone—that could help him in the event that Litten was rendered unable to battle, for whatever reason.

"Niko?" Charlotte asked her boyfriend, who was sitting next to her on the warm grass, staring into the fire, and clearly lost in thought.

"Hmm?"

"You alright?" she wondered.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You just seem…I don't know, more pensive than usual."

"Just thinking about Litten."

"You think too much about Litten," Charlotte said.

"Well, I'm sorry. He's all I've got right now, unlike you! Both of your Pokémon are okay with losing! Mine aren't!" Niko snapped back, turning away and watching the Fire Cat Pokémon sleep. He didn't manage to catch Charlotte's shocked—and slightly offended—glare.

"What're you getting at?" she asked, a hint of hurtfulness in her tone.

"What I'm getting at is that my only Pokémon has difficulty training because he hasn't _won_ a battle yet! And I'm about to walk into a trial that I know _nothing_ about with a Pokémon who has a fear of failure! Yet here you are, wondering why I think too much."

"Niko, you—"

"I'm a _champion_ , Charlotte? Do you not know what that means for me?" Niko said, raising his voice. "The standards for me are higher than they are for you!"

"Niko, calm down…" Warren said.

"Says the guy who has _no idea_ what he's doing with himself!" Niko said, turning his attention to Warren. "Tell me, Warren—what _are_ you doing here? Just relaxing on the beaches of Alola while your girlfriend works hard to provide a living for the both of you? How selfish."

"Oh, shut up," Warren replied, standing up. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need to cut it out. You don't act like that around your girlfriend, and you certainly don't insinuate things about mine."

Niko stood up as well. "I need some time alone," he said, ironically grabbing Litten's pokéball and walking off. He needed a lot of time to think on his own, without the "constant nagging" of his two friends.

Charlotte put her face in her hands as she slowly started to cry. She and Niko hardly ever fought—only once or twice in Unova and once in Kalos, to her memory—but this time it was different. She didn't do or say anything inherently wrong. All she did was wonder how Niko—her boyfriend, her best friend—was doing; if he was hurt or sad; if he needed someone to talk to and bounce ideas off of. Instead, she got a snappy, out-of-nowhere response that made her wonder what was really going on inside his head. Most importantly, it made her wonder if Niko was even aware of how deep those feelings might have been.

She felt a light hand touch her shoulder and, looking up to expect Niko, found Warren sitting there.

"Are _you_ alright?" he asked. She only nodded, quickly wiping tears away.

" _If I may say…_ " Rotomdex began, only to be shushed by Warren with a light back-handed slap.

"I just don't know what I did wrong."

"Neither of us did anything wrong," Warren said, looking from Charlotte to the campfire, and then in the direction Niko had left in. "Niko's clearly stressed. We should give him the space to figure these things out. Remember, he isn't always like this."

"You're right. I should have been more understanding."

"You were understanding enough, though. You had no idea he would've reacted the way he did."

"I hope he's alright on his own," Charlotte said.

"Niko? Oh, I'm sure he is," Warren said with a smirk.

* * *

Niko sat against a tree, only half a mile away from their campsite, and near the cliffside facing the ocean. Litten's pokéball rolled around in his hand as he thought about not just the Fire Cat Pokémon, but also about the trial, his chances at it, and his fight with Charlotte and Warren.

He knew he had gone too far—that much was obvious. But why did he? That was the question Niko struggled to answer. He cared more about Charlotte than he realized, yet here he was, implicitly belittling her. As for Warren—Niko had no idea where his words had come from. They were far darker than his more than friendly feelings towards his former roommate and extraordinarily close friend.

 _Do I really, deep down, see Warren as useless?_ Niko asked himself. It was an odd question to consider, he thought, but one that he clearly needed to expend some energy considering. He personally found his own words and thoughts horrid, which only led to more confusion.

It was obvious, he thought, that Warren's goals in life were, at best, ambiguous. Whether or not the tall, brown-haired, stocky-built young man had seriously considered where had was going in life, Niko wasn't entirely sure. He did know that Warren's curiosity knew no bounds, and his enthusiasm for his friends was limitless. He loved travelling, seeing the world, and expanding his knowledge for the sake of putting his experiences and the things he saw into words—to use language to paint a mental picture for millions of others and express his life and journeys through the world. To Niko, _that_ was meaningful, even if it wasn't always obvious. Furthermore, to experience that alongside a set of Pokémon that Warren had grown close to—even his Tranquil and Litleo, the two members of his team that had seen the least battle and training of his four—was additionally meaningful to Niko.

Warren's journey was unorthodox, and it had every right to be. Niko had to convince himself—even his deepest, most cynical self—of that.

Which, again, left Charlotte. Niko saw Charlotte as a far stronger, and far more capable trainer, than he was when he was as new to this as she was. Granted, she sometimes didn't handle pressure as well as she could have, but generally speaking he felt that she was in a better place than he had been. She was also older—two years older than Niko currently was, and eight years older than he had been when he began his journey in Kanto. Therefore, more mature than Niko. She had also seen him train with his Pokémon and participate in gym and league battles up close while in Unova before giving it a shot for herself. Niko had no reason to belittle her accomplishments—better than he was when he began—by implying that the standards were different for him when he became a conference champion.

Even if the standards were different, it wasn't right to say, Niko concluded to himself. Before he set out to apologize, he decided to sit there for a while longer, eventually succumbing to the tiredness from that day's journey.

* * *

The next morning, Charlotte woke up alone, with Warren several feet away. To her left were her two Pokémon, each sleeping up in the tree above her. She sat up, feeling a light headache and, when Charlotte considered the previous night, the headache felt more prominent.

"Morning," Warren eventually said as he woke up. "Sleep well?"

"Sort of," Charlotte said as she made breakfast. "Niko hasn't come back yet, has he?"

" _Niko didn't return at all last night_ ," Rotomdex noted, " _I kept watch for him_."

"Not yet, nope," Warren said with a sigh. "He must've been really worked up."

"Turns out I just fell asleep," Niko's voice said from behind the two of them. Hearing this, Charlotte immediately spun around as she stood up and brought Niko into a tight hug. Without saying much else, the three friends continued with their morning before Niko and Charlotte began training for their upcoming trial with Ilima.

Niko trained only with Litten that morning—no one else. Not Warren or Charlotte, only Litten. Well, if only for a few moments. At the start of their normal training routine, Niko noticed yellow petals fluttering through the wind, moving west towards the sea for whatever reason. Charlotte, Warren, and all of the Pokémon noticed it too, mesmerized by the yellow gust of wind blowing above them.

"It looks beautiful," Charlotte said, watching Noibat's eyes sparkle. Rowlet, meanwhile, was fast asleep.

Before anyone could say anything else, Noibat leapt into the air and backpedaled on the trail in order to see where the yellow petals originated from. Worried, Charlotte went after her, Rowlet in tow. Curious, Niko, Warren, and Litten followed.

The petal trail led them to a seemingly large valley filled with bright yellow flowers. Niko stood in awe at them, and watched Noibat fly downwards into the field to smell them. As she did so, she came across a small, pale yellow bird-like Pokémon with yellow pom-poms for hands.

"Rotomdex, what are those?" Niko asked as the trio made their way into the valley of yellow flowers. "Also…where are we?"

" _We are in Melemele Meadow_ ," Rotomdex began, " _And those are called oricorio. They are known as the Dancing Pokémon. There are four forms of oricorio, depending on the nectar of the flowers nearby. These oricorio are electric and flying type, and are known as the "pom-pom style" oricorio. They lift up their opponent's spirits with their cheerful dance moves. When they let their guard down, they electrocute them with a jolt_."

"Hmm…" Niko said with a smirk. "I think I'll try and catch one," he said as the pom-pom oricorio slapped Noibat along the side of the face, emitting electric sparks. "Litten, let's go!" Niko said, thrusting his hand forward as the Fire Cat Pokémon leapt into action. "Use ember!"

Litten fired off a series of small fireballs at the oricorio, who leapt out of the way, and the moves accidentally hit Noibat, causing the Sound Wave Pokémon to emit a high-pitched screech that shattered the ear drums of everything around her. Steeling himself, Niko commanded Litten to use ember again, this time hitting oricorio and knocking it into the flower bed. Once oricorio got back up, Litten followed up with a scratch, only to be met with a pom-pom slamming against the side of his body, launching him across the field, once more into Noibat, who responded with a high-pitched scream.

"Noibat, return," Charlotte said, "you've taken enough of a beating already. Niko, please watch out for Noibat next time."

"Please make sure she isn't in the way," Niko cautioned back before commanding Litten to use ember. The Fire Cat wasn't giving up this time, charging towards oricorio and firing off ember after ember in an effort to get the dancing Pokémon to relent. It didn't work, but Niko noticed oricorio was exhausted enough that a pokéball might work on it.

Pulling out a red-and-white pokéball, Niko expanded it quickly before throwing it through the field at oricorio. However, while the pokéball did seem to catch something, as a flash of red light emitted for forcing the ball to the ground, oricorio was not captured.

Something else was.

Confused, Niko approached the pokéball, noticing small bee-like Pokémon fluttering around, lightly gliding between Niko and oricorio and off into the wind above them. For a moment, Niko simply looked at the pokéball before Litten urged him to pick it up by lightly pushing it with his head after it clicked, indicating a successful capture. Oricorio, for its part, was very puzzled by this, but seemed to understand the situation better than Niko.

"What did you catch…?" Warren asked, approaching his friend alongside Charlotte and a sleeping Rowlet.

"I…don't know," Niko said. He opened up the pokéball to see one of those bee-like creatures that, only moments ago, he had seen for the first time. It looked at him with an equally confused look, but seemed content with itself. "Rotomdex, what is this?"

" _Bzzzt_ ," Rotomdex said, bringing up a picture of the tiny Pokémon, " _It's called Cutiefly. It is a bug and fairy type Pokémon, and is known as the Bee Fly Pokémon. Cutiefly feeds on the nectar and pollen of flowers. Because it's able to sense auras, it can identify which flowers are about to bloom_."

"Cutiefly…?" Niko said, and the Bee Fly Pokémon responded in kind with a light whizzing sound of its wings. "Well, hi. I didn't mean to catch you, but I guess we're partners now. My name is Niko, and this is my other Pokémon, Litten. This is my girlfriend, Charlotte, and my friend Warren. We're travelling the islands of Alola and taking on trials. Is that something you'd be interested in doing?"

Cutiefly looked at him curiously, as if it didn't hardly a single word Niko had said. It just continued to cheerfully flutter its wings.

"Uh, alright then," Niko said, finally noticing oricorio was gone. "Guess I'm not getting that oricorio.

"No, but you've gotten something else," Warren said, noting the incredibly small size of Cutiefly. "That could be of some use to you."

"I really think so. Hey Cutiefly, how about we go train a bit? I want to see what you're capable of!" Niko said excitedly. Cutiefly responded with equal enthusiasm, even if it was very clear that the Bee Fly Pokémon had no idea what it was about to get itself into. While they made their way back to their campsite, Niko asked Rotomdex for more information on Cutiefly, specifically the little Pokémon's moveset, as well as one of its potential abilities.

He then spent the remainder of the morning training with Litten and Cutiefly, particularly watching how the two of them interacted with one another. Meanwhile, Charlotte trained with her own two Pokémon, occasionally enlisting Warren for his help in training. However, during much of this time she thought about Niko, specifically about how he has been acting towards her recently.

Her thoughts were put on hold when the trio noticed Ilima walking up the hill just south of them, his z-ring gleaming in the midday sun.


	5. Into the Totem's Den

**Episode 5: Into the Totem's Den**

"Niko, Charlotte," Ilima said with a smile, his pink hair glimmering in the midday sun. "How are you two doing today?"

"We're alright," Charlotte said, returning Rowlet and Noibat, as the two needed to rest. "And we're ready for the trial."

"Heh, great to hear," Ilima said. "I'm looking forward to seeing the two of you challenge it. Now…who will go first?"

Niko and Charlotte looked at one another, neither wanting to go second. They were used to switching off after every gym battle, but would they do that with trials and grand trials? Niko wanted to go first, but he also wanted to give Charlotte the opportunity to experience these things before him, for whatever reason. His wish seemed to be granted when Charlotte eventually stepped forward after what was several moments. Ilima nodded, and motioned for Charlotte to follow him to the entrance of Verdant Cavern, leaving Niko and Warren alone outside. Rotomdex followed Charlotte along, eager to see what sorts of Pokémon they would find.

"Think she'll be alright?" Warren asked.

"I hope so," Niko replied, turning towards Litten and Cutiefly. "Let's continue training, yeah?" Litten and Cutiefly nodded. The Bee Fly Pokémon seemed to understand what was expected of it by this point, which not only pleased Niko, but also pleased Litten and even Cutiefly.

Verdant Cavern was a massive cave with a wide variety of plants growing inside of it. Sunlight shafted in from above, giving it a, as Ilima put it, "breathtaking look." Charlotte and Ilima stopped right after the entrance to the cave, taking in for a moment the atmosphere.

"This trial will be simple," Ilima explained. "It will be in two parts. The first part will involve battling, although you may use as many Pokémon as you want. Complete the task, and you will advance to the second part—the Totem Pokémon. For the Totem, you may use as many Pokémon as you wish. Do you have any questions at this point?"

"Nope," Charlotte said. She was nervous, to be sure, but that was normal. She might have been more concerned if she wasn't nervous. Putting some of her brown hair behind her ear with one hand and gripping her belt with the other, she assumed a ready stance.

"Excellent. For the first part, I need you to find and defeat two rattata for me. They like to play hide and seek with visitors, but they also have a knack for attacking them as well, and I want them to be put in their place, in a way. Do you know what they look like?"

"Yes, we saw some on our way here," Charlotte explained.

"Gotcha. Alright, I need you to find those two and, again, you may use whatever Pokémon you deem necessary. I'll be waiting in the back of the cave," he pointed to an opening far off, across a massive chasm and through some foliage growing inside the cave, "when you're finished. If you have any questions, you can also find me there. Good luck."

Charlotte simply nodded before reaching for her belt with both hands and summoning Rowlet and Noibat. "Come on out!" she shouted. The two flying types looked down at Charlotte for a moment, curious as to their first task. "We need to find and defeat two rattata. Those are the black rat-like Pokémon we saw when we helped Kaila, remember?" they both nodded. "Noibat, I needed you to use your echo location to find them and, when one appears, Rowlet use leafage. Sound good?"

The Sound Wave and Grass Quill Pokémon both nodded eagerly, flying off into the air. Noibat used her large ears to seek out the rattata through sound and, after a few minutes, seemed to find something, chittering to Rowlet, presumably with directions. The owl then flew towards one of the holes and fired off glowing green leaves, causing a cloud of dust to erupt. Once it settled, Rowlet found nothing there.

"It's okay! Let's try again!" Charlotte shouted, running up to where Rowlet was. Noibat tried again, this time finding a hole nearby, supposedly with something in it. Rowlet flew over to it and into the relatively large hole before firing off a close-range leafage. Moments later, he dragged out a defeated rattata. "Yes! Well done, Rowlet!"

Rowlet cooed happily. Noibat repeated the process until they found the second rattata on the far end of the cave relative to their position, and closer to where Ilima was waiting. This time, the rattata put up more of a fight, biting onto Rowlet's foot and trying to throw it down. Rowlet, however, forced it off with leafage before pecking at it with his beak. The little owl learned a new move, apparently.

"Great job, Rowlet!" Charlotte shouted cheerfully. They had completed the first part with relative ease. With her two Pokémon flying above her, she approached Ilima with a wide smile on her face.

"So you've completed the first part," Ilima said, turning to the exit of the cavern behind him. "Now, you'll face the Totem Pokémon I have summoned to challenge you. It's waiting outside here in the Totem's Den. Good luck."

Charlotte nodded, and walked through the exit into a small, outdoor space surrounded by rock and earth. She looked up to see the afternoon sun bathing her and her Pokémon in light. But they seemed to be alone.

Suddenly, a massive black rat crashed down in front of her, briefly shaking the ground of the den. It had large, puffy cheeks, and its eyes were a sharp red color.

"Uh…Rotomdex…?" Charlotte asked. Since arriving in the cavern, Rotomdex had been casually taking pictures of the area while keeping an eye on Charlotte's progress. It now zoomed up to the Totem Pokémon and curiously snapped a picture of it.

" _Bzzzt…this is an Alolan Raticate. Dark and normal type. It has an incredibly greedy personality. Its nest is filled with so much food gathered by rattata at its direction, it can't possibly eat it all!_ "

Before Charlotte could respond, a thin, fiery orange aura erupted around the Raticate. Charlotte took a nervous step back. She didn't feel ready for this.

But then Rowlet and Noibat stood in front of her, clearly ready to fight. Realizing this, and steeling herself, Charlotte stepped forward with the same foot. She _was_ ready.

"Rowlet, you're up first!" Charlotte commanded. "Use growl!"

The Grass Quill Pokémon emitted a loud cooing sound which hardly seemed to affect the Totem, who responded with a growl and scary expression of its own, frightening Rowlet and causing it to fly around behind Charlotte.

"Don't be scared, Rowlet. We can do this…" she said. "Use leafage!"

Rowlet nodded, flying high into the air and raining down glowing green leaves at the Totem, causing it to roar loudly in response. Raticate then, in a surprising feat of strength, leapt high into the air and bit down on Rowlet before falling back to the ground, causing both of them to crash. Rowlet sat there, immobilized under the weight of the Totem.

"U-use leafage!" Charlotte commanded. Rowlet fired off more leaves, causing the Totem to get off of him and reflexively slash at the Grass Quill Pokémon with the claws on its feet. Rowlet managed to get back into the air, effectively dodging the move. He fired off more leaves which the Totem was unable to dodge. However, it leapt again into the air and, its large pincer-like teeth glowing, bit down on Rowlet's entire body and thrust it into the ground as they landed. Rowlet rolled out of the resulting dust cloud in defeat.

"Return," Charlotte said worriedly. "Noibat, your turn now."

The Sound Wave Pokémon chittered as she flew towards her opponent, having watched the Totem battle Rowlet. In response, the Totem roared out, and a rattata appeared at its side. Charlotte now had to fight two Pokémon at once.

"Use screech!" Charlotte commanded. Noibat emitted a high-pitched sound that forced Charlotte to plug her ears, and the Totem and rattata to roar out in pain. "Now!" Charlotte said amidst the loud sound. "Use gust!"

Noibat flapped her wings furiously in an attempt to move Raticate backwards, but the move hardly seemed to do its job. Rattata on the other hand was flung backwards, crashing into the rock wall in the back of the den. Raticate responded by charging forward, its pincer-teeth glowing white.

"Supersonic!" Charlotte commanded. Sound waves emitted from Noibat's ears as she blew back the Totem Pokémon, knocking it onto its side. It slowly got up, stumbling a little, before turning to the rattata and biting down on it viciously. Charlotte, taking advantage of this, commanded Noibat to use tackle. The Sound Wave Pokémon charged downward, knocking the Totem Pokémon over.

In its confusion, Raticate ran into a wall before finally attempting to attack Noibat, who responded with a powerful gust attack, knocking Raticate back down. However, the rattata—somehow still in the battle—leapt into the air and tackled Noibat, forcing both of them into the side wall of the den. Noibat used screech defensively, forcing rattata to back off before she followed up with gust. Noibat then tackled the rattata, launching it into the opposite wall and defeating it. Which only left the Totem Pokémon.

"Noibat, use gust!" Charlotte commanded. Noibat flapped her wings aggressively, keeping Raticate at bay, unable to do much in its state of confusion. It did attempt to strike at Noibat, but the Sound Wave Pokémon managed to dodge once more before using the opportunity to tackle the Totem from the side with enough force to launch it into the same wall the rattata had hit. Raticate crashed onto the ground in defeat. "We…we did it…?" Charlotte asked, looking up at Noibat, who chittered happily. "We did it! We defeated a Totem Pokémon!"

Suddenly Ilima appeared behind them. "Well done, Charlotte," he looked to the Totem Pokémon, who got up and approached Charlotte. Somehow, now it was holding a small, white-colored, four-sided crystal. It was the same one Ilima had. It was a z-crystal.

"But…I can't use this…" Charlotte said, taking the z-crystal from Raticate.

"You will. I have z-rings prepared for you and Niko. When he is finished with his—assuming he can clear it as well—I will award you both with your z-rings. But for now, it'll have to wait. Congrats on getting your normalium-z."

* * *

Niko and Warren spent most of the time training Litten and Cutiefly, eventually settling down to have something to eat, and to allow the two Pokémon to rest. When they had finished, they noticed Charlotte and Ilima walking out of the cavern. Charlotte didn't say anything—she simply flashed her normalium-z to them.

"You…won?" Niko asked. When she nodded happily, he quickly approached her and picked her up with excitement. "Great job!"

"Thanks," she said as she was placed back on the ground. "Your turn!"

"Yeah. I'm ready, Ilima," Niko said. Ilima smirked, and motioned for him to follow. Once again, Rotomdex followed.

Once they reached the inside of the cave, Ilima explained the rules to Niko. The only difference was that Niko would be facing yungoos, and not rattata like Charlotte did. The reason for this was probably to throw them off guard, in the event they had talked to one another (which they didn't). As soon as he was ready, Niko watched Ilima walk off as he summoned Cutiefly.

"Alright buddy! I know I just caught you, but now I need you to help me out," he said, opening Cutiefly's pokéball. The Bee Fly Pokémon fluttered happily about. "So, we need to find and defeat two yungoos. They're these little—sorry, big—mongoose-like Pokémon. Ilima said they're hiding out in those tunnels," Niko pointed to a nearby one. "Can you go in and look for them? If you find one, use stun spore and then fairy wind to blow them out of the tunnel, alright?"

For reference, Rotomdex showed Cutiefly a picture of yungoos. Cutiefly nodded, and buzzed off in search of the Loitering Pokémon. A minute later Niko heard some loud noises coming from a nearby tunnel but, instead of a yungoos launching outwards, it was Cutiefly, crashing onto the dirt floor, under one of the light shafts. Niko sprinted towards it, returning her.

 _I'll need you for later_ , he thought worriedly. "Litten, I choose you! Use ember!"

The Fire Cat burst out of his pokéball and fired off a series of fireballs at the yungoos, who blocked them with its tail before it lit up in flames. Yungoos cried out, emitting an oddly high-pitched scream. Litten followed up with a second ember before lurching forward and using scratch to finish it off.

"Well done, Litten," Niko said. "I think that's our first win together," Litten turned to Niko and smiled, and the latter bent down to pet his head. "Now, we need to defeat one more. Think you can do it?"

Litten nodded, and ran off in search of the second yungoos. Niko stood there, patiently waiting for Litten to find something. Ultimately, he came back without starting a single fight with any wild Pokémon.

"Err…we need to check the tunnels. Did you do that?" Niko asked. Litten shook his head, as if wondering how stupid he had just acted. The kitten then ran into a nearby tunnel and came back moments later, finding nothing. Suddenly, his ears perked up, turning to the second furthest tunnel from Ilima's position. It was off in the far-right end of Verdant Cavern. Litten and Niko both ran towards it, nearly falling over a naturally-made bridge that connected parts of the cavern and rested above a deep chasm below.

Once they made it to the tunnel, Litten slowly and carefully entered it before turning back and running out, presumably to give himself more space to move as opposed to out of fear. A second yungoos appeared, clearly agitated enough to fight.

"Litten, use ember!" Niko commanded. The Fire Cat Pokémon spit out a series of fireballs at the yungoos, who managed to skillfully dodge each one before moving in for a tackle. Litten, using the techniques Niko had taught him, leapt to his left and out of the path of the yungoos before using ember on its side, knocking the Loitering Pokémon over. "Great job! Finish it off with scratch!"

Litten meowed as he leapt through the air, closing the space between it and yungoos, and slashed at it, quickly defeating the mongoose. It simply lay there as Ilima clapped, nodded, and motioned for Niko to join him. When Niko and Litten made it to the back exit of Verdant Cavern, Ilima explained the second part of the trial—the Totem Pokémon battle. Niko and Litten looked at one another and nodded before walking past the Trial Captain and entering the Totem's Den.

As soon as they were well within the den, they heard the ground shake underneath them and, out of the sky dropped a massive, mongoose-like Pokémon. It was similar to yungoos, only far larger, and it stood on its hind legs. Immediately after appearing before Niko and Litten, an orange aura surrounded it.

"Uh…Rotomdex…" Niko said nervously. "What is that?"

" _Bzzzt…it's a gumshoos! The Stakeout Pokémon, and a normal type. When it finds a trace of its prey, it patiently stakes out the location…but it's always snoozing by nightfall_."

"Maybe we should just wait…" Niko said jokingly, although neither Litten nor Rotomdex found it funny. "Litten, fall back. Cutiefly, I choose you!" Niko shouted, summoning the already exhausted Bee Fly Pokémon. "Use stun spore!"

Cutiefly flapped its wings as quickly as it could, emitting small yellow specks of dust in the direction of the Totem, who responded by simply glaring at Cutiefly, and then swiftly moving out of the way to ultimately tackle Cutiefly.

"Dodge it!" Niko shouted, although it was for naught. Cutiefly, despite its incredibly small size and agility, the Bee Fly Pokémon was rocketed into one of the walls on the side, quickly falling to the ground in defeat. "Return, Cutiefly," Niko said before turning to Litten. "Guess it's just up to us, buddy. You ready?"

"Mreow!" Litten said with a determined tone in his voice. He then leapt forward, lowering the front of his body close to the ground, ready to pounce at the Totem Pokémon.

"Use ember!" Niko commanded. Litten got back up and fired off small flames at Gumshoos, who slyly dodged the attack before charging at Litten from the side, just as it did for Cutiefly. "Jump to the side, just like I taught you!" Niko shouted. Litten did so, gracefully evading the attack before firing off another series of embers at Gumshoos, knocking it to the ground. "Now, use scratch!"

Gumshoos, seeing this coming, leaned forward towards Litten and used what looked like super fang—its fangs were glowing a bright white color as it lunged forward. This time the attack hit Litten, forcing him to land in between Gumshoos' sets of teeth. The Stakeout Pokémon then flung Litten across the den, slamming him into the back wall before he slowly fell to the ground.

"Ember!" Niko shouted. _Close-range attacks…maybe not today_ , he thought. Litten obeyed again, this time firing off more small fireballs at Gumshoos and slowing it down as a result. "Growl!"

"MREOW!" Litten roared out, although it hardly had any effect. Niko simply kept asking Litten to use ember, but from various angles as Gumshoos attempted to directly strike it. Realizing he wasn't doing too much good with this, Niko tried desperately to think of something else.

 _Something…anything…_ Niko thought. "Litten, run towards the wall and jump at it!" he suddenly found himself yelling out. Litten, equally as confused, nodded all the same, albeit waiting for the Totem Pokémon to make another attempt at striking it. Once it charged forward, Litten turned towards the nearest wall, sprinting as fast as his little legs would go. Eventually, he jumped off of the wall and, suddenly realizing what Niko was getting at, turned and lunged at Gumshoos from in the air. "Use ember up close!"

Litten landed in front of Gumshoos and, directly in its face, fired off a series of embers. Gumshoos fell backwards, trying to rub the embers away as Litten landed behind it.

"Now, again!" Niko commanded. Litten obeyed, charging towards the wall, leaping at it, and bouncing off of it before landing on Gumshoos' exposed stomach and firing off fireballs as it did so. The Totem Pokémon roared out in pain from the burns it received as Litten furiously scratched at it before ultimately defeating it.

Litten leapt off of Gumshoos once he realized he had won, and smugly looked up at Niko, proud of his accomplishment. Niko was, too.

"Well done, buddy," Niko said happily, picking Litten up and hugging him. "I'm so proud of you."

Ilima walked into the den with the same normalium-z he had given to Charlotte, explaining that Niko could now use z-moves, as long as one of his Pokémon understood how to use a normal type move. Nodding, Niko shook the Trial Captain's hand, and the two walked out of Verdant Cavern together.

* * *

"Niko, Charlotte," Ilima said as he stood before both of his challengers. "You have both completed your first trial. As such, it is my job to award the both of you with your very own z-ring."

Ilima held out two white rings, identical to the one he wore on his wrist. Niko and Charlotte looked at their rings, placed them on their wrists simultaneously—Niko's on his left and Charlotte's on her right—and hugged one another.

"Thank you, Ilima," Niko said while Charlotte put in place her normalium-z, excited to see it fit firmly in place in the middle.

"You're very welcome," Ilima said with a smile. "Since you've both cleared all of the trials on Melemele Island, you are both eligible to challenge Kahuna Hala in the Grand Trial. You can find him in Iki Town, which is just north of Hau'oli City. I recommend, however, that you both train vigorously for it. Kahunas are not the same as, say, the gym leaders you both might be used to facing. I wish you luck, and I may be around to watch the match, if I can get time off to do so."

"We'll take the long way, then," Niko said with a smirk. "Right guys?"

Charlotte and Warren both nodded in agreement.

"Then I recommend going north towards route 3 and Kala'e Bay. It's a quiet, relatively solitary spot, and a great place for training, especially with regards to z-moves. Speaking of which, expect Hala to use a z-move in the Grand Trial. I won't say which one, or what type of Pokémon he uses, but expect it, as you should with every Kahuna in Alola. Practice your own z-moves, and you might stand a chance."

"Thanks for the tip," Niko said. Ilima nodded before bowing to them and turning to leave.

"Of course. I hope to see you both in Iki Town!" Ilima said, waving as he walked back down the hill towards Hau'oli City. Niko and his friends turned north towards route 3. With one trial down, both Niko and Charlotte felt better about their new Pokémon and their ability to handle the Island Trials. Whether that feeling would last, they had yet to find out.


	6. Journey to Kala'e Bay

**Episode 6: Journey to Kala'e Bay**

The normalium-z made a quiet "click" sound as Niko attached it to his new z-ring. The same day he had cleared the Verdant Cavern trial—the first of many in Alola—he had hoped to attempt his first z-move. Charlotte, who had also cleared the trial, would make an attempt at them as well. But first, they needed to find a place large enough for them to train in.

Earlier, Ilima had suggested Kala'e Bay, a remote location on Melemele Island. After using Rotomdex to get more information on its location, the trio headed off in a northeastern direction, along route 3, with the pokédex noting that they could reach Kala'e Bay the following morning. They finished the day—which began with Niko capturing Cutiefly and included their first trial—on the cliffsides of northern Melemele, overlooking the calm sea.

He watched the Bee Fly Pokémon flutter around near the cliffside as he—Rotomdex confirmed Cutiefly's gender—get to know the other Pokémon, specifically Noibat and Tranquil, two fellow winged creatures. Rowlet, the only other flying type in their group, preferred to sleep in Charlotte's bag that night,

"He didn't do too bad in the trial," Niko said aloud. "Cutiefly, I mean. For an accidental capture, and for being thrown into this pretty quickly, I was impressed."

"Cutiefly has promise, that's for sure," Warren said, watching Tranquil show off how fast it was in the air relative to Cutiefly, who struggled to keep up. "He seems excited about battling," he laughed, "even if he seems sort of clueless."

"Oh, he's definitely a little ditzy, that's for sure," Niko said with a grin. "I think he'll make a good battler, though. So, will Litten."

"Litten defeated your Totem, didn't he?" Warren asked. When Niko nodded, he hardly seemed surprised. "Makes sense. A win was on the horizon for that kitten. I'm glad it was against a Totem."

"So am I. I wonder what Hala will use. Does each trial use a different type, like gym leaders?" Niko posed to the other two. Neither seemed to have an answer. "I guess it would make sense if you get z-crystals from each trial. So, we might be able to cross off normal type."

"That doesn't help at all," Charlotte said teasingly.

"No, not really. Rotomdex, how long does it take to get to Iki Town from here?"

" _Bzzzt…about a day_ ," Rotomdex said.

"So, we could spend a day on Kala'e Bay, and then another getting to Iki Town. Maybe then take a third day to just train. Sound good?" Niko proposed.

"I like that. I think a day around here will be helpful," Charlotte added, petting Rowlet's head. The little owl cooed happily before falling to sleep again, the setting sun bathing his left side in a comforting orange light.

As it got darker, and the Pokémon began to fall asleep, Warren sat there watching the waves crash beneath him. Next to him was Poliwhirl, the only other one awake. So far, it seemed that the Tadpole Pokémon had enjoyed Alola, albeit it hadn't seen much of it since their arrival. The two sat at the edge of the cliff, neither saying much until Warren eventually spoke, long after everyone else had gone to bed.

"Do you miss living in Castelia City?" Warren asked his Pokémon—his first. Poliwhirl looked at him with confusion. Wasn't it always Warren who wanted to go out and see the world? From the perspective of the Tadpole Pokémon, this was always a no-brainer. Always.

Poliwhirl eventually nodded, but he seemed hesitant to do so. Instead, his expression looked more curious than certain, as if he was asking for elaboration.

"I've just been thinking…what _is_ our purpose, Poliwhirl? Why am I out here, going along with the flow? Why do I catch other Pokémon? What's _my_ purpose in all of this?" He placed his hands on his cheeks, and rested his chin on the bottoms of his palms. "That sounds confusing…let me start again. Yesterday Niko asked me why I was here with him and Charlotte. He was angry, and he basically asked me what my purpose was in travelling with him. It's obvious what he and Charlotte want to do—they want to be strong Pokémon trainers. And Niko wants to be a Pokémon Master—the strongest trainer.

"But what am I doing? Why did I just go along to Kalos? Or to here? To travel and write about my adventures? Is that _all_ I'm good for? To cheer Niko and Charlotte on? Is that _all_ that I'm capable of doing? I don't know, Poliwhirl…I just don't know…"

Poliwhirl looked at him, now almost concerned. The two had been together for a considerable amount of time—and Poliwhirl respected and looked up to his trainer more than Warren realized. To hear this coming from his friend and partner wasn't easy. But Poliwhirl simply had no idea what to do.

He simply placed one of his white-gloved hands on Warren's shoulder and stood next to his trainer, presumably as a sign of solidarity.

"I'm just confused, Poliwhirl," Warren said, shaking his head. "So very confused."

"Poli."

"I'm glad we're together, you and I," Warren said, seeming to cheer up a little. "I think we can figure this out together."

Poliwhirl simply nodded.

* * *

"Niko watch out!" Charlotte shouted, pushing her boyfriend to the side, away from the cliff, as a Pokémon dropped from the sky towards them. "Noibat, use gust!" she shouted, throwing a pokéball into the air containing the Sound Wave Pokémon (Rowlet was asleep through all of this).

The little bat chittered excitedly as she flapped her wings to repel the bird, which they quickly identified, via Rotomdex, as a vullaby. The Diapered Pokémon flew backwards, over the cliff's edge, before charging at Noibat to use peck.

"Tranquil, use quick attack!" Warren commanded, summoning his own bird to strike at vullaby. He succeeded, crashing into the Diapered Pokémon and launching it into a nearby rock, temporarily knocking it out.

Charlotte pulled some of her hair back and smiled. "Thanks, Warren."

"No problem," Warren said as Tranquil landed on his shoulder, cooing happily.

"What was that…?" Niko asked in a somewhat snappy tone. "I could've handled it."

"Clearly not," Charlotte said with a concerned laugh. "That vullaby would've taken you out!"

"I don't know…I saw it just as you were telling me to move out of the way," Niko replied. He didn't want to start any arguments with Charlotte—not again, at least. She simply rolled her eyes and continued walking, which silently frustrated Niko.

Route 3 of Alola was much of what the group had seen the previous evening—cliffsides, and small rock formations protruding from the ground everywhere. Niko found it fascinating, to say the least, but not after nearly getting swiped at by a random bird Pokémon hurtling towards him.

By midday the trio had reached an entrance to Seaward Cave which, according to Rotomdex, led to Kala'e Bay. They entered the cave entrance, which quickly descended deep into the mountain range. Along their way, they noticed small ponds littered around the cavern, and rivers flowing in and out of the tunnel they were in. Otherwise, none of them found anything worth noting or interesting in the Seaward Cave, besides Rotomdex taking pictures of it and some of the wild Pokémon that it found—mostly zubat, though. Out of the corner of his eye, Niko thought he saw a wild totodile, which made him smile.

Most of their trip through the cave—which took the better part of an hour to traverse, with the help of Rotomdex—most of the trio kept to themselves. Niko was concerned about the conflicts he found himself getting into with Charlotte and occasionally Warren. It felt like his relationships with them were somehow slipping—like he was losing control of how to interact with them. The cause of this problem was far more perplexing, in his mind— _why_ did he lash out? Why was he suddenly so stubborn about being right, or not being at least sympathetic to Charlotte's concerns or help? What bothered him the most, more than anything, was his inability to figure this particular problem out.

Charlotte was concerned for much the same reason—why was Niko acting differently around her? First, she felt that he snubbed her when he didn't want to take a picture, for a reason that was unclear to her. Secondly, he seemed more confrontational since they arrived in Alola and, again, she had no idea why. Lastly, and this was only a minor issue, relatively speaking: she saw him as more derogatory than usual. Again, for no reason. She needed to confront him about it, but had no idea how to approach it, mainly out of fear that he might irrationally lash out.

Warren's thoughts were occupied by his one-sided conversation with Poliwhirl the previous night. Everything that he thought about, and everything that he said out loud, concerned him. He felt like he was slowly losing himself, and it took Niko's random outburst for him to realize that. For most of his journey in Unova and Kalos he simply saw himself as going along for the ride—writing about their various adventures in his journal, and occasionally helping out his friends with training. But he couldn't do that forever. At least, not if he remained with Sydney.

He understood that his absence was taking a toll on his girlfriend. They managed to talk whenever he reached a new town or city, but it simply wasn't the same. Warren couldn't just keep travelling with Niko and Charlotte. He had to _do_ something. He needed to find his calling in life. And it couldn't just be writing and travelling.

Warren always considered himself to be someone with an impactful ambition—he wanted to leave his mark on something, somewhere, and somehow. Writing was immensely powerful, he knew that more than anything. But he found it to be limiting—it can only reach a specific audience. Rarely did a book or article of writing ever _not_ have a "ceiling" with regards to its fanbase. Some religions saw no such "ceiling," but those were few and far between. No, to truly leave an impact, to have done something of true significance, Warren had to step outside of himself. The question was…where? And with what?

He certainly had a lot of thinking to do.

* * *

By midday the trio had reached Kala'e Bay. Ilima was right—it was quiet and peaceful; no one was around. Only the sounds of the ocean and various Pokémon, both in the water and in the air, permeated their ears. They put down their stuff and, finding ample space to practice their first z-moves, began.

"So…" Niko said, "I think z-moves need to be triggered by some sort of 'dance,' right?"

"Yeah, Ilima did that when he was battling Charlotte, remember?" Warren said, trying to remember exactly what it was.

"It ended like this, though," Charlotte added, placing her arms in 90-degree angles, one above her forehead and another at her waist. "But I forgot how he got to that point."

Niko, while thinking, summoning Litten and Cutiefly. "Either way, we're limited in which Pokémon can use it. Remember, they have to know a normal type move. So, I guess that means only Litten can try this z-move. Sorry, Cutiefly."

The Bee Fly Pokémon hardly seemed to care, fluttering off to play with some of Warren's Pokémon. Rowlet and Noibat stood next to Charlotte, the former still resting peacefully in her bag. Charlotte looked at her two flyers to determine which one would be more interested in trying the move. Noibat seemed eager enough and, once she explained, the Sound Wave Pokémon chittered happily.

Niko and Charlotte stood side-by-side, with Litten and Noibat next to them. With Warren's help, they tried to piece together the "dance" that they hoped would trigger the z-move. On their first try, Niko swung both of his arms to the side at an angle that nearly smacked Charlotte in the face and, evidently, didn't use the z-move; Litten sat their licking his paws while he watched Charlotte verbally harangue Niko for nearly hitting her.

On their second try, Charlotte threw a kick forward and nearly hit her Rowlet, who at that specific moment decided to leave his trainer's bag to fly around for a bit. The Grass Quill Pokémon freaked out—it's eyes widened, and it quickly flew off in a mad dash to get away from Charlotte.

Meanwhile, Warren was trying to remember the moves, doing a sort of reverse-engineering to put together a reasonable flow of movements that could reasonably trigger a powerful move. He seemed to get part of it down: before the finishing stance, he realized that both arms would have to be at 45-degree angles, which smoothly transitions into the finishing stance. But what would come before that?

Niko and Charlotte continued trying it. After a while, Litten had fallen asleep. Noibat, however, was fixated entirely on her trainer, waiting for any moment in which the move might trigger.

After what seemed like over an hour—and several more near-accidents later—Charlotte finally figured it out: both arms have to be lowered at a 45-degree angle. Then, she would move her left arm up, so it was at the same angle, but reflected about her torso. After that, both arms would move to their finishing stance at 90-degree angles.

"Let's try it, Noibat," Charlotte said. The Sound Wave Pokémon chittered eagerly, turning towards the empty beach beyond her. "Noibat! Let's use our z-move!" Charlotte performed the "dance" again, this time in full. Now, Niko and Warren watched her z-ring sparkle. The normalium-z was reacting to her poses somehow and, in a similar way to the energy transfers shown with mega evolution, the z-energy transferred to Noibat.

Noibat was then engulfed in an orange aura, similar to the ones of the Totem Pokémon, and then dashed off at what looked like super-speed. Noibat continued to go until Charlotte saw a crash off in the distance—Noibat seriously hurt herself, by the looks of it.

"Rowlet!" Charlotte said, calling to her little owl. "Go fetch Noibat!"

Rowlet cooed as he flew off, as fast as he could go, towards his teammate, while Charlotte ran off after them.

Meanwhile, Niko simply stood there, unsure of whether or not to proceed. Once he saw Charlotte bringing back Noibat in her arms, he decided on giving it a try, too.

"Litten, ready?" he asked the Fire Cat Pokémon, who had just woken up when Noibat blasted off with its new z-move. He got up, and Niko began the moves just as Charlotte had done them. "Let's go, Litten! Full power!"

Like with Noibat, an orange aura surrounded Litten before it charged off. However, unlike Noibat, Litten managed to not crash into something far off. Minutes later, it ran back, albeit looking exhausted.

"Guess it'll take a little practice. Well done, Litten," Niko said, petting his cat's head.

"Yeah, you could say that again," Charlotte said bitterly before walking off to where their bags lay. She simply sat down, Noibat still in her arms.

"Is Noibat going to be alright?" Niko wondered.

"Yeah, thanks for asking," she said without changing her tone. Niko blinked in confusion, but shook it off so he could train with Cutiefly while Litten took a break.

"Congrats to you both, though," Warren said pleasantly. "At least you guys know _how_ to use z-moves."

"Would've helped if we knew it would be difficult to control," Charlotte said, laying Noibat on a blanket. "That way maybe we could have trained somewhere else, and not near a cliffside where Noibat could hurt herself."

"She'll just get better with practice, geez," Niko said. "Cutiefly, use fairy wind!"

"What…?" Charlotte asked, offended and confused.

"Did I say something wrong?" Niko asked.

"Yeah… _again_."

Niko shook his head. "Sorry your Pokémon can't figure these things out."

"Don't you dare insult Noibat! At least my Pokémon can take a loss!"

"Yeah, better than their trainer."

Charlotte, not wanting to deal with this anymore, turned on her feet and yelled for Rowlet to join her. She largely spent the rest of the day training with the owl, and away from Niko. He had gone too far, and what frightened her the most was that he probably knew it, too.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Wow...Niko's really acting like a dick, isn't he? Don't worry, though-there is a resolution coming up for these two, that much I will say. Also...the seeds are being planted in Warren's head for some sort of change in his life. It'll be interesting to see how this develops! Hope y'all enjoyed!**


	7. A moment of sympathy

**Episode 7: A moment of sympathy**

Niko felt bad.

He truly did. He hated seeing Charlotte upset about anything, much less him. The very idea of her not wanting to talk to him was frustrating, particularly because _he_ was the cause of it. Now he needed to fix it—somehow—and he didn't know how.

He rarely fought with his previous girlfriend, Lauren, until they ended things. Now, with Charlotte, this argument was not only new, but unprecedented in the fact that Niko wanted to stay with her. He wanted Charlotte around, with him and helping him. Being at his side as he would be at hers. In that moment, however, none of this was true. He resented himself for it.

Niko tried to approach her a few times during that day, but to no avail. Charlotte spent most of her day training and practicing the relatively exhausting z-move with Noibat and Rowlet. Niko tried to use it again with Litten, but the Fire Cat Pokémon struggled on the second attempt, actually fainting mid-attempt. Cutiefly, not knowing any normal type moves, simply continued with his training.

Charlotte felt hurt by Niko's comments. Why would he stoop so low to criticize her reaction to her Kalos League loss, especially when he went through the _exact_ same process of emotions when he lost in the Indigo League five years prior? Was he so far removed from his own personal history that he allowed his arrogance to take over? Was this how Niko _truly_ felt? She didn't know, and she didn't care. He still said it, and it disappointed her.

Charlotte looked up to Niko, even if he didn't realize it. She cared about him, and knew he was, in his heart of hearts, a genuinely good person. So, to hear him insult her, for no reason, made her re-consider how she felt. Ultimately, Charlotte decided to wait it out. Who knew—maybe Niko would apologize, and everything would be fine?

After finishing their training for the day, the trio sat down for dinner. None of them talked much, with the exception of Warren trying to create conversation entirely on his own. It was all for naught, since neither Niko nor Charlotte felt like talking and accidentally inciting another argument. Even the Pokémon understood the tension. However, it didn't seem to affect their relationships with one another—Noibat and Litten, for example, hung out on the beach that evening, despite the latter's general aloofness towards his surroundings.

Warren was the first to fall asleep that night, leaving Niko and Charlotte entirely alone. Neither one looked at the other, although it would've been difficult, despite the moonlight giving their figures a silver glow.

After a while, Niko finally said something. "Charlotte, I—huh?"

She was asleep.

Smacking his head, Niko laid down on his sleeping bag and went to bed himself, hoping the following day would be better.

* * *

According to Rotomdex, the journey to Iki Town would take roughly a day. The trio would leave Kala'e Bay and head southeastwards along route 1. As they set off, Niko made yet another attempt to speak to Charlotte, but stopped when she started making conversation with Warren instead.

" _Bzzzt…you okay, Niko?_ " Rotomdex asked in an unusually concerned, yet still somewhat emotionless, tone.

"Yep, I'm alright," Niko said, noticing Charlotte turn to look at him and the pokédex. This was the first time they had even locked eyes since their attempts at using z-moves. "Charlotte, can I talk to you?"

"We need to leave though," she replied, pointing to Warren already moving towards Seaward Cave. "Can it wait?"

"Yeah…it can wait," Niko said, slightly lowering his head and moving on, his sandals collecting sand between them and his feet.

Route 1 in Alola was quite beautiful. Once they left the cliffsides on the northern part of Melemele Island, they were greeted by the sight of lush foliage all around. It felt like they were on an island now, instead of on some route in the middle of a massive continent. While they walked, the trio saw Pokémon flying and running around, either out of fear of them, or on their way to do something else of note. Besides the foliage, they could still see the ocean to their left—the cliffsides were nearby, but not nearly as deep as they had been before.

The trio sat down for a quick lunch before training for their upcoming battle with Hala. Like at the beach, they were in a larger, oddly secluded place, which made it ideal for practicing z-moves.

"Ready Rowlet?" Charlotte asked the Grass Quill Pokémon after training with him and Noibat for nearly half an hour. Rowlet nodded, and mimicked Charlotte's movements as they performed the z-move. "Use breakneck blitz!"

Rowlet cooed loudly and energetically as he charged forward, an orange aura emitting around his body. He succeeded in the move before collapsing face-forward into the ground from exhaustion. Seeing this, Charlotte ran over to pick him up affectionately.

"Good job, buddy. We'll give it another try tomorrow when we get to Iki Town. Sound good?"

Rowlet nodded, cooing softly. Charlotte briefly turned to Niko, watching him train with Litten and Cutiefly, both Pokémon working in better sync than one might expect of a cat and a bee fly.

She sat down with her two Pokémon—Noibat was also exhausted, albeit not as much as her teammate. "Am I being too harsh to Niko by not talking with him?" she asked them. Rowlet and Noibat looked up with surprise—Charlotte hardly ever asked them personal questions. "I mean, he certainly wasn't nice to me but…he is my boyfriend. We need to talk these things through, right?"

The bat and the owl, neither having any understanding of human interactions and relationships, simply shrugged. Noibat looked at Niko, who was instructing Litten to perform a kicking move, but to little avail. Turning back to Charlotte, she nodded. Rowlet, too exhausted to answer, fell asleep in his trainer's arms.

"Heh," the brunette said, laying her hazel eyes on the owl. "You always know what to say, Rowlet."

"Again, Litten!" Niko shouted. The Fire Cat nodded, charging forward before spinning on his front paws and kicking into the air. For a moment, Niko noticed his paws light up a bright white color. "Close, we're getting closer. What do you think, Warren?"

Warren, who had been watching Litten and Niko practice, nodded. "I think so. Looks like double kick."

" _Bzzzt…yes_ ," Rotomdex, who suggested the move to Niko, added.

"Alright, I think we're finished with that for today, Litten," Niko said, kneeling down to pet the Fire Cat Pokémon. "You're getting better. We'll try again tomorrow. Ready for a z-move?"

Litten nodded with determination. He had felt confident after his first attempt at breakneck blitz, and knew it would be an important skill to hone before their big battle coming up, which admittedly Litten had little idea of.

Meanwhile, Cutiefly was fluttering about, practicing his absorb move on anything that lived. This seemed to annoy some of Warren's Pokémon—especially Poliwhirl, who slapped the Bee Fly Pokémon with an ice-cold hand. It forced the fairy type to spin out of control and crash onto the ground.

"Alright, Litten!" Niko said, standing in front of the road with his Pokémon directly in front of him. "Let's go!" they each mimicked the movements they had practiced, moving in sync as much as they could. "Use breakneck blitz!"

"MREOWWW!" Litten roared out, bursting forward with the transferred z-energy. An orange aura surrounded him as he powerfully charged down the road before accidentally veering to the right and crashing into a collection of trees a hundred yards away.

"Litten!" Niko shouted, sprinting—somehow, in his sandals—towards his Pokémon. However, it was Litten that reached him first, trailed by an angry little bird with a long beak. "Oh dear," Niko said, turning around as well and running alongside a terrified Litten before tripping and falling flat on his face. Just as quickly, he saw a flurry of embers fly past his face, and then a loud " _cawk_ " sound before something hitting the ground just behind him. "What the…?"

The Pokémon was a small, avian-like creature with black plumage. Its beak was gray with a pointed, black tip, and it had large blue eyes. A white mask-like marking ran along its face. The marking extended down its neck before ending in a tuft of feathers on its chest. A large crest swept upward from the back of its head with a red stripe along the top that ended at its beak. The undersides of its wings were white, and it had thin gray legs and feet. It also looked like it had a flat tail.

"Niko, are you alright?" Charlotte asked as she reached out her hand to pick him up. Niko looked up, smirked, and nodded.

"What…was that…?" Niko asked as Charlotte helped him back up.

" _Bzzzt…that's a pikipek!_ " Rotomdex said excitedly as it snapped pictures of the tiny bird, " _The Woodpecker Pokémon. It's a normal and flying type. It pecks at trees with its hard beak. You can get some idea of its mood or condition from the rhythm of its pecking_."

Niko eyed the Pokémon curiously. It was clearly disturbed by Litten, and lashed out accordingly. He then turned to look at the collection of trees Litten had crashed into, and walked over to it.

The trees held a collection of various berries, but mostly small, blue berries called Oran Berries. Besides that, it was oddly empty. No other Pokémon—pikipek or otherwise—seemed to live in the trees.

"Hey Rotomdex," Niko asked, "These Pokémon live in packs…right?"

" _I'd assume so, Niko,_ " Rotomdex said. " _Why do you ask?_ "

"It's empty."

" _Oh…well maybe the flock left, or died out_ ," Rotomdex said, just as the pikipek was returning. Niko sighed loudly before giving Rotomdex a reprimanding look. " _What?_ "

"You jerk," Niko said as he watched the pikipek settle back into the nest. When it noticed Niko, it shot an angry look at him and threatened to peck at him with its relatively long beak. "Hey, I'm sorry if we disturbed you. I was practicing a powerful move with my Litten, and we just messed up. It was entirely an accident."

Pikipek looked at him cautiously before turning away and eating an Oran Berry.

"If it's any consolation…" Niko reached into his pocket and pulled out a Sitrus Berry—a small, yellow berry with a plump bottom—and handed it to the pikipek. "Here. I give these to my Pokémon after we've spent some time training. If you're hurt at all, this'll help."

Pikipek eyed the berry and quickly pecked at Niko's hand, grabbing it and angrily throwing it into its nest.

"Also…I hope you don't always have to live alone. I know what it's like—to be away from your loved ones. When that happened to me, it was entirely my fault, and it sucked. Have a good day, pikipek."

Niko turned, motioning Litten to walk with him. After a moment, the Fire Cat collapsed from exhaustion. Seeing this, Niko picked him up and carried him off with the pikipek watching from a distance.

When he got back to his friends, Niko lay Litten down, so he could rest and sat down himself, briefly massaging his face. A moment later, Charlotte sat down next to him.

"Feeling okay?" she asked in a friendly tone.

"Yeah. Falling on my face doesn't exactly feel good," he looked back in the direction of the nest. "That pikipek though…it lives alone, in this massive nest…"

"And you don't know what to do?" Charlotte asked.

Niko shook his head. "No idea. I want to help it, but I don't know how to without removing it from its nest, you know?"

"You were thinking of catching it?"

"Yeah."

"Then go for it," Charlotte said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "If that's how you think you can best improve the life of this pikipek, then go for it!"

He nodded. "Thanks, Charlotte," he said before lightly kissing her cheek and standing up, not noticing Charlotte's face turn light pink. "Cutiefly, come with me."

The Bee Fly Pokémon—who had been reeling from Poliwhirl's ice punch earlier, got up at his trainer's beckoning and fluttered beside him cheerfully. The two set off towards the nest, which pikipek was apparently cleaning up.

"Hey," Niko said as he approached the pikipek, getting its attention. "I have a proposition for you. I'm going on a journey with my friends and Pokémon—this is Cutiefly, one of them—taking on the Island Challenge. We hope to get stronger through this. Would you like to join us?"

Pikipek looked at Niko, and then Cutiefly, before staring down at its nest. Niko saw a look of sadness—and realization. It eventually nodded, but begrudgingly.

"If you don't want to—"

"BAWK!" Pikipek shouted, bursting out of the tree and tackling Cutiefly, dragging him through the air.

"Cutiefly, use stun spore!" Niko shouted instinctively. The Bee Fly Pokémon quickly fluttered his wings, emitting a yellow dust that caused the pikipek to crash into the ground. "Now, fairy wind!"

Pikipek was thrust around across the ground with fairy wind. By the time Niko felt like it had had enough, he reached for a spare pokéball that he kept on his belt and tossed it down towards the Woodpecker Pokémon. It immediately went inside with a red flash of light and wiggled around on the ground. Cutiefly stared at it with a piqued interest, flinching when it made the usual clicking sound that indicated a successful capture.

"Well done, Cutiefly," Niko said with a grateful smile. "You're getting better, too!" Niko then summoned Pikipek. "Welcome to the team, buddy," he said to the still stunned Pikipek. "Let's get you fixed up and introduce you around, alright?"

Pikipek was healed within minutes by Niko and Warren's efforts, and proceeded to meet everyone on the team. It seemed to feel annoyed by Rowlet's presence, for whatever reason, and look at Tranquil curiously. Otherwise, it seemed cordial to everyone else. Niko then explained to him—Rotomdex identified the Pikipek as male—as well as Litten and Cutiefly, what they might be up against in Iki Town. Charlotte did the same with Rowlet and Noibat. By the end of the day, they expected to reach their destination and, within the following days, battle Island Kahuna Hala as part of their Island Challenge.

Niko felt good about his chances. He had three willing, capable Pokémon ready to take on whatever was in front of them. More importantly, he knew Charlotte felt the same way about her chances. Besides that, he had to repair the faults in his relationship with her, hoping to have a more in-depth discussion about it when they reached Iki Town.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Past couple of days have been busy for me. Gonna try and catch up on this story, so expect episodes to just come out randomly throughout the next few days, as opposed to late in the evening when they usually do. Enjoy!**


	8. Return of the rival

**Episode 8: Return of the rival**

Iki Town was small, the smallest on Melemele Island, in fact. Once it became clear in the distance, the trio had to do a double-take with Rotomdex to confirm that it was, indeed, Iki Town. Most of the town was centered around what seemed to be a large community forum, with houses surrounding it and littered around the lower hills of the area. To the north of the town—and from the trio's perspective, to their right—was a path that led into a dark forest.

Walking into the town, they were immediately greeted by some of the residents. "Alola!" they said, "Are you here to visit Hala?"

"How…how did you know?" Niko asked one of the residents, an elderly-looking lady.

"That's usually why visitors come here. It's no worry of ours; Hala is very strong."

"Well, yes we are. My girlfriend and I are now qualified to challenge him," Niko said.

"Ah. You might have to wait on that," another woman said. "He has a challenger at this time," she pointed to the forum, where there stood a raised wooden platform with two people of wildly different appearances battling it out.

Niko turned to see the older man—presumably Hala—standing on one end of the platform. He had a stocky appearance, white hair tied in a ponytail, as well as white eyebrows and mustache. He wore a blue shirt under a floral yellow jacket, and a shirt tied in a knot over a red and white fan. He had white shorts and white and blue flip-flops. His eyes were squinty. On the field he was battling with a blue crab-like Pokémon.

" _Bzzzt…_ " Rotomdex began excitedly, " _That's a crabrawler! It's known as the boxing Pokémon, and it's exclusively fighting type! Crabrawler has been known to mistake Exeggutor for a coconut tree and climb it. The enraged Exeggutor shakes it off and stomps it_."

"Great, Rotomdex," Niko said passively. Because his mind was on something entirely different—Hala's opponent.

His opponent was female. She was of average height, and had long, flowing black hair that went halfway down her back. She was thin, and moved her arms and legs in battle, as if one with her Pokémon, gracefully. The woman wore glasses, and had light freckles on her face. Her white dress shirt was unbuttoned at the top, and her black jeans were replaced with shorts of the same color.

"Melinda…?" Niko muttered to himself. _What's she doing here?_

"Popplio!" Melinda commanded. "Use disarming voice!"

"Protect, crabrawler!" Hala commanded. Once the attack finished, he commanded the Boxing Pokémon to use power-up punch, which it managed to do rather quickly, scuttled across the platform, through a powerful water gun, and slamming its fist into Popplio, launching it backwards. "Now, pursuit!"

Crabrawler continued its onslaught, slamming its fists into Popplio relentlessly before rocketing it off of the platform in defeat.

"Return, Popplio," Melinda said, "Growlithe, I choose you!"

"Hmm. A growlithe. Crabrawler, use power-up punch!"

"Flame wheel!" Melinda commanded. The two Pokémon collided mid-field before repelling one another and collapsing onto the ground. Crabrawler then burst forward with another power-up punch, only to be pelted by Growlithe's embers, knocking it onto the ground. Crabrawler attempted to get back up, but found itself collapsing face-forward into the ground in defeat.

"Crabrawler, return," Hala said in a kind, but clearly stern tone. Niko could tell he was treating his battle with Melinda as seriously as possible. Was she also doing the Island Challenge? "You're strong, Melinda. I can tell your journeys in foreign lands has prepared you well. But it's about to end. With the power of Tapu Koko, I summon my Hariyama!"

"Growlithe, get ready," Melinda said, taking a battle stance of her own. "Use flame wheel!"

"Arm thrust!" Hala commanded. The fighting type rocketed out its large, orange glove-like hands and slammed them into Growlithe's face as the latter was on fire. The Puppy Pokémon flew backwards before collapsing on the ground, struggling to get back up. "And knock off!"

Hariyama slapped Growlithe in the side, causing it to roll over. It slowly got back up and used ember to hit Hariyama, pelting it with small fireballs. The Arm Thrust Pokémon backed away, clearly annoyed by it, before Hala commanded it to use belly drum. It obliged, slamming its large hands against its stomach, creating a light aura around it.

"ARM THRUST!" Hala shouted. With its increased power from belly drum, Hariyama brought down its palms like massive hammers, crushing growlithe underneath them. The battle was over.

"Growlithe is unable to battle, Hariyama is the winner! The victory goes to Island Kahuna Hala!" the referee declared.

"Return, Growlithe," Melinda said. As she did so, she briefly caught Niko's eye and, for a moment, didn't seem to recognize him. Then she let out a light gasp before turning back to Hala. "Thank you for the battle, Master Hala," she said with a bow.

"No worries, Melinda. And if you're ever ready for a rematch, please let me know. I encourage you to train before we meet again. Focus on the inner strength of your Pokémon. I can sense there is some conflict there. It's faint, but it exists. Your Pokémon are not reaching their full potential, at least as far as our battle was concerned."

"I will take this into consideration. Again, thank you," she said before standing straight up again. Then she looked away from the platform, towards her former rival, who was looking directly at her. "Niko!"

"Huh?" Charlotte and Warren both said. While Niko was watching, they were both commenting on Hala's battling style, specifically noting his use of fighting types, and Charlotte's relative advantage.

"Hey, Melinda," Niko said as his former rival dropped off of the platform to bring him into a tight hug. "Long time no see…"

"Right? You look older!" she noted. "And much more mature, too!" she said, pointing to the nascent beard.

"I guess so…" Niko said, scratching his head nervously. "I suppose you should meet my friends. Melinda, this is my friend Warren, and my girlfriend Charlotte."

"Oh, so you've gotten yourself a keeper, eh?" she said as she approached Charlotte. "Melinda, hi."

"Hi…" Charlotte said. Melinda was certainly taller than she was, and only slightly more intimidating.

"Well, she's my…never mind," Niko said.

"What?" Melinda turned around.

"I was going to say second girlfriend since we last saw each other, but—"

"Oh! Well look at you, Mr. Popular."

* * *

"So, you and Niko travelled together?" Warren asked later that afternoon. The four trainers visited one of the few restaurants in Iki Town, near the southern edge leading towards route 1.

"No, but we were rivals, technically," Melinda said. "I met him early in his journey, and he got me into battling gyms and stuff. It was a lot of fun, and I've been doing it on and off since. What about you, Niko?"

"Oh, same," Niko didn't feel like giving her the entire story. It had been over three years since he had last seen Melinda. His life has undergone twists and turns that he, as a 19-year-old, wouldn't have expected.

"Nothing knew in your life? Why'd you come to Alola?"

"On a vacation, actually," Niko explained before going into detail about how he and Charlotte ended up partaking in the Island Challenge.

"They needed it," Warren explained. "Especially Niko. After winning the Kalos League…"

"You _won_ a Pokémon league?" Melinda shouted excitedly. When Niko nodded—albeit nervously—she lunged over the table to hug him. "Well done! And to think, I had defeated a future champion!"

"Well, I lost to the Elite 4…" Niko admitted.

"So? That's farther than I've ever gotten! I placed Top 2 in the Silver Conference. That's it."

"Well, that's still impressive! I'd love to battle you again. Did you bring your Hoenn Pokémon with you?"

"No, I left them at home, actually. I wanted to start off fresh, you know?"

Melinda nodded. "So…Charlotte, how long have you and Niko been together?"

"A couple months, actually."

"How'd you meet?"

Charlotte sighed, as if about to go on a long-winded explanation. Which she did. She explained Niko meeting her in Unova, and then that they had travelled through Unova and then Kalos. She also added her introduction to battling gyms, without explaining how she placed in the Lumiose Conference. Melinda's eyes widened when she finished.

"Sounds like you two were made for each other!" she said. "Niko! I'm so happy for you!"

"Th-thanks, Melinda. What're you doing in Alola?"

"I came here to try the Island Challenges. A friend of mine in Kanto told me about them, so I decided to check it out. I beat Ilima a week or so ago, and then started training up to fight Hala. Turns out I need to do more of that…"

"He looks like a tough guy. So, it makes sense, right?" Niko asked.

"Of course. I think I can do it with some more training. Are you here to challenge him too?"

"Actually, yes. We got into town just as you began your battle with him."

Melinda nodded. "Well, I wish you both luck! If you're free, Niko, I'd like to battle you."

Niko's eyes widened. "Of course. I'm down for that," he noticed his friend smirking. He recognized that expression. It's one of the things he liked so much about Melinda—her ambition was genuine, and in some ways attractive. It's the kind of ambition that helped him not only be a better battler and Pokémon Trainer, but also a better person more generally.

The four of them walked back out as they noticed people running in their direction. However, none of them were making their way towards the trio and Melinda. It was a young man down the road, near the entrance to Iki Town.

He was a short man, only slightly shorter than Hala seemed to be. His skin as was dark as Hala's, and he had green hair tied up in a ponytail on the top of his head. He wore a black shirt with a pokéball symbol on it, and yellow floral shorts of the same hue as Hala's. Lastly, unlike the Kahuna, he wore orange shoes. All in all, he looked like a much younger version of Hala.

"Champion Hau!" they shouted and cheered as the young man, who couldn't have been much older than Niko, approached.

"Alola!" he said in a high-pitched tone. "How're you doing?" he asked as he pointed to a middle-aged man. "Great to see you!" he said to another before approaching the trio. "Alola! I don't believe we've met before. I'm Hau!"

"Niko, pleasure," he said. The other three introduced themselves in turn.

"Are you new to Iki Town, or visiting?"

"The three of us," Niko pointed to himself, Charlotte, and Melinda, "are all here to challenge Hala."

"Ah! Island Challengers…awesome!" he said excitedly, jumping up and down. "I love watching my grandpa battle!"

"Grandpa…?" Melinda asked.

"Yep! Kahuna Hala is my grandfather! He gave me this!" Hau revealed a black z-ring, similar to the one Kukui owned. "And helped me start my Island Challenge years ago! Anyways, I hope you both do well against my grandpa. He's tough, though. Keep on your toes."

"Will do. Thanks, Hau," Niko said, holding out his hand. Hau enthusiastically shook it before running off, presumably to find Hala. He then turned to Melinda. "Now, about that battle…?"

She smirked. "Let's do it."

* * *

"This'll be a one-on-one battle between Niko and Melinda," Warren explained. Instinctively, both Niko and Melinda whipped out pokéballs, ready for battle.

"Popplio, I choose you!" Melinda shouted, summoning the small, blue seal-like Pokémon.

" _Bzzzt…Popplio, the Sea Lion Pokémon. Water type_ ," Rotomdex began.

"WOAH!" Melinda said with wonder. "I didn't notice _that_! What is it?"

"A very sassy robot," Charlotte muttered under her breath.

"It's so cool!" Melinda shouted. Rotomdex, feeling the affection, hovered over to its new friend. "What do you do?"

" _I am a pokédex, a map, and an all-around friend to Niko, Charlotte, and Warren!_ " Rotomdex explained. " _Anyway, who are you?_ "

"I'm Melinda, one of Niko's old friends and rivals," Melinda explained.

" _Niko, you never told me you had an attractive woman as your rival. Why didn't you end up with her?_ "

Niko began to fume as he noticed Charlotte look away. "Rotomdex…SHUT. UP."

" _But—_ "

"SHUT UP!"

" _Anyway, Popplio gets on top of its bouncy water balloons to jump higher. It's quite the acrobatic fighter!_ "

"This is definitely true," Melinda, who now felt just as awkward as Niko and Charlotte, replied. "Niko, friend, what's your choice?"

"Well, water type, right? Guess that leaves Litten out of the mix. Cutiefly, I choose you!" Niko shouted, summoning the Bee Fly Pokémon. "Use stun spore!"

"Blow it away with water gun!" Melinda commanded. The Sea Lion Pokémon quickly dispelled the attack before following up with a disarming voice, an attack that hardly seemed to have an effect on the Bee Fly Pokémon. "Aqua jet!"

"Cutiefly, dodge and use fairy wind!" Niko shouted. His tiny Pokémon shifted out of the way easily, mainly due to its relatively small size, and blasted Popplio with a fierce fluttering of his wings. The attack ended up missing—Popplio was far faster than Niko had anticipated. The Sea Lion Pokémon charged back towards Cutiefly and, unexpectedly, crashed into it, bringing the two of them to the ground. "Absorb!"

"Water gun!" Melinda shouted, thrusting her hand to the side. Popplio opened its mouth and fired off a high-pressure blast of water that launched it backwards and seemed to defeat Cutiefly, leaving the tiny Pokémon in the dirt ground.

"Cutiefly is unable to battle, Popplio is the winner!" Warren declared. "The winner is Melinda!"

"Cutiefly…" Niko said, picking up Cutiefly and holding his Pokémon in his hands. "You did great, buddy. We just need to work on your agility," he said as he returned his Pokémon. If Melinda lost to Hala, and he lost to Melinda…then what chance did he have? This battle, albeit brief, concerned him all the same. He had far more training to do before taking on the Island Kahuna. Charlotte also noticed this and grew more concerned. Not just for herself and her chances, but also Niko's. She didn't want him to lose as much as she didn't want to lose herself.

* * *

That night, Niko and Charlotte approached what they were told was Hala's house—a curved orange roofed abode with a friendly aura surrounding it. They knocked, and within minutes the Island Kahuna himself answered.

"Alola!" he said with a raucous tone. "How may I help you two?"

"Hi, I'm Niko, and this is Charlotte. We're starting out with the Island Challenge, and a few days ago we cleared Ilima's trial in Verdant Cavern and, we both think, ready to challenge you."

"Ah. Ahah!" Hala said. "Well done, first of all. Secondly, I accept both of your challenges, but alas I need some time. I will be leaving the island tomorrow for some business on Ula'ula Island. Wait until my return, and then we will battle. Sound good?"

Niko and Charlotte both nodded, and Hala bid them farewell before closing the door as they left. When he looked back around, he saw a young man sitting there. He wore a thin pair of glasses, and was quietly reading through some magazine on Hala's tea table.

"Are those the two you were telling me about?" Hala asked after shutting the door.

"Possibly. The man is strong. He won the most recent Lumiose Conference. The other—his girlfriend—is strong in her own ways. You've got some tough battles ahead."

"I'll keep that in mind," Hala said as he sat down. "I appreciate the help, by the way."

"We need all of the assistance possible, Hala. I should be thanking you, actually," he said in a rather bored tone. "Especially with your willingness to come back with me to Ula'ula. I need for you to meet with some other people handling this. If blown out of proportion, this could result in a global crisis."

"I understand the stakes very well. Alola has had its share of crises."

"As have many other regions in the world. However, this one could not only be catastrophic but, with even the slightest, most nuanced mistake, would be far more destructive than anything this world has ever seen. It could lead to the end of civilization as we know it."

Hala simply nodded.


	9. An All-Out Pummeling

**Episode 9: An All-Out Pummeling**

Niko and Charlotte spent the next couple of days training their Pokémon, awaiting Hala's return, usually finishing with the only z-move available to them—Breakneck Blitz. Occasionally Melinda would join in with her Popplio and Growlithe, but didn't battle either of them in any official battle during those days.

When he wasn't battling, Niko wanted to talk with Charlotte, but it never seemed like the right time. Usually, Melinda wanted to catch up with him, and so they spent a considerable amount of their free hours chatting, which seemed to bother Charlotte.

On the evening before Hala's supposed return, Charlotte and Warren were eating dinner, waiting for Niko and Melinda to get back. Noticing his brunette friend furiously eating her food, Warren placed a hand on her wrist, immediately stopping her.

"You alright?" he asked in a sympathetic tone.

"Yeah. Fine," she said, continuing.

"You know Niko only likes you, right?" Warren said, stopping Charlotte a second time. "If you don't believe that, then you have no idea who your boyfriend really is."

"I—I do!" she snapped back.

"Do you? Then you would know how hurt he was by _his_ comments to you a few days ago. You would also know that he doesn't see Melinda as any more than a friend."

"How do you know all of this?" Charlotte asked.

"It's not difficult to see. You're just not looking for the right things," he said with a smirk before continuing. This seemed to frustrate Charlotte, who remained silent long after Niko and Melinda got back.

Before that, though, the former—and now current—rivals took a walk around Iki Town, the moonlight illuminating the path forward for them. Niko had initially felt uncomfortable being around Melinda, but after seeing her more over the past few days, it was getting progressively easier.

"You and Charlotte…" she said. "I've noticed you two don't talk much. Is everything alright?"

Niko shrugged. "I hope so."

"What do you mean?" Niko then relayed to Melinda everything that has happened since they arrived on Melemele Island—the big and small confrontations. The entire time, she walked in silence, soaking in his words. When he finished, she took a long, but shallow, sigh. "You've never been good at communicating your feelings, Niko. I remember your emotional intelligence in Hoenn and, judging from the bits and pieces you've given me since then, it hasn't changed much," she stopped and look at him, "it's important in relationships. By conveying your feelings in a less antagonistic way, you can avoid conflict.

"I think Charlotte sees a lot in you. Even if she's mad at you, the way she has looked at you, the way she watches your battling, is one of awe. And I've noticed it the other way, too. You two work well together, far better than, say, either of us would have. You've known that for a while, haven't you?"

Niko nodded. He wasn't going to pretend anything Melinda just said wasn't true. She was, of course, correct. He just needed an opportunity to talk to Charlotte. Hoping that moment would be later that night, Niko walked over to her as they were heading to bed, only to find her already asleep, with Noibat and Rowlet sleeping on their bed board. It would have to wait until after their battle with Hala.

* * *

"Kahuna Hala has returned!" someone shouted. A small crowd of townspeople gathered at the entrance of Iki Town as Hala, Hau, Professor Kukui, and Ilima all entered the town. Niko and Charlotte knew that Kukui and Ilima wanted to see them challenge Hala, but it seemed odd that they would arrive at the same time. Kukui didn't live too far, and Ilima needed some time to travel from Hau'oli City.

Hala waved to the townspeople before scoping out the area for Niko and Charlotte. Finding them, he smirked. "You two!" he pointed to them. "You wanted to challenge me?"

Niko and Charlotte nodded. They had imagined Hala would need some time to rest after whatever business he had to attend to before battling the both of them. As it turned out, he didn't have to—he was clearly ready to go toe-to-toe with two entirely different trainers.

"Cousins!" Kukui said, shaking the trio's hands. "And…Melinda! Fancy seeing you here!"

"Alola, Professor," Melinda said with a bow. "I hope you're well."

"I'm doing great! Thanks for asking. Niko, Charlotte, are you prepared for Hala?"

"We think so," Charlotte said, looking up at Niko who, without bothering to look back at her, nodded. "Did you come to watch?"

"Of course! Ilima told me about your first trial, and I couldn't help but come to see the amazing moves you two will use against Hala!" Kukui made a fist and pumped it.

"Hah! It seems like Kukui is more excited about the battle than I am!" Hala said with a raucous laugh. "Alright, well then—who's first?"

Niko stepped forward, since Charlotte started in the Verdant Cave trial. "I'll go first, Hala."

"Excellent! If your Pokémon are ready, then let's head to the battlefield and begin!"

The Kahuna led the crowd to the center of town, where he had battled Melinda a few days prior. It was a wooden platform raised a few feet from the ground. The wood was painted in an intricate pattern, resembling a stylized dohyo in sumo wrestling. Hala stood on one end; Niko on the other. The referee—summoned by someone in the town, stood on the sidelines between them. The battle would be a two-on-two battle.

"Crabrawler, I choose you!" Hala commanded, summoning the familiar blue crab. Niko knew it was a fighting type, and had the ideal counter, but chose something less conventional.

"Litten, you're up buddy!" Niko shouted, summoning the Fire Cat Pokémon. "Use ember!"

"Power-up punch!" Hala commanded. The Boxing Pokémon charged forward, its spherical claws glowing a bright orange-brown color. It attempted to hit Litten, but missed when Litten leapt to the right and out of the way of the attack. "Pursuit!"

"Litten, use ember again!" Niko called out. Litten spit out more fireballs at Crabrawler, who scuttled around them this time before slapping its opponent with its round, blue claw. Litten rolled across the platform before slowly getting back up. He had more fight in him—Niko knew that much. "Use scratch!"

"Power-up punch!" Hala commanded.

When Litten got close enough, his small paw glowing white, Niko switched strategies. "Now, double kick!"

Hala's eyebrows raised when Litten halted in front of Crabrawler, ducked under the power-up punch, and spun on his front paws before kicking with his hind legs, rocketing Crabrawler backwards. Niko then commanded Litten to use ember, which seemed to subdue Crabrawler momentarily.

"So that's what Niko was training to do…" Charlotte muttered. She did, however, catch Warren's attention.

"Yep. Double kick isn't terribly effective against fighting types, but Niko thought it suited Litten's battling style quite well. Even though it knows ember—and uses it well—Niko always took the cat to be a physical fighter."

"Litten usually are," Ilima said, scratching his chin. "It and its evolutions are, at least."

"Well done, Niko," the Kahuna said. "Kukui has told me about you and Charlotte—he tells me about every new Island Challenger. This Litten is something else, that's for sure. But it's our job to make sure you're ready for the harder trials ahead. Crabrawler, power-up punch!"

"Litten, use double kick!" Niko commanded. Litten charged forward, again towards his opponent before flipping through the air and, in an intricate spin move, attempted to kick Crabrawler in the air. This failed, and the Fire Cat Pokémon was rocketed into the air with power-up punch. "Ember!"

Litten regained his bearings and, still in midair, fired off fireballs down at his opponent while descending. Crabrawler tried to use protect on Hala's command, but the attack failed, and the Boxing Pokémon was hit by the move. Once Litten landed, Niko commanded a final double kick.

"Power-up punch!" Hala shouted. The paw and claw met, both powerful enough attacks. Litten and Crabrawler repelled one another in opposite directions, and towards their trainer's opponent. Litten, on Hala's end of the platform, slowly got back up as he awaited Crabrawler. The Boxing Pokémon, however, was unable to continue.

"Crabrawler is unable to battle, Litten is the winner!" the referee declared. "Kahuna Hala will use his second and final Pokémon!"

"Crabrawler, return," Hala said with a smirk. Meanwhile, Litten returned to his end of the platform. "Well done, Niko. Color me impressed. Let's see how you handle this next one—Hariyama, I choose you!"

"Litten, you ready?" Niko asked. The Fire Cat Pokémon nodded, slowly standing back up. He looked exhausted, Niko noticed. But Litten wasn't the type of Pokémon to give up so easily. They could handle this Hariyama. "Alright, use ember!"

"Hariyama, block them with arm thrust!" Hala commanded. The massive fighting type beat back the embers with its massive, orange glove-like fists. This, however, gave Litten time to charge forward and leapt into the air to use double kick. "Knock off!"

Hariyama thrust its palm upwards, colliding with Litten's outstretched leg and launching it sky-high. The Arm Thrust Pokémon squared its body as it readied for Litten to land. Once it was within attacking range, Hala commanded it to use arm thrust, which it did and rocketed Litten across the platform towards Niko.

"Litten, can you continue?" Niko asked with concern in his voice. Litten nodded, slowly getting back up. His breathing was heavy, but he could still go. "Then let's go. Use ember again!"

"Arm thrust!" Hala commanded. The fighting type thrust its hands forward to block the ember which, again, Litten used to run down the platform and attack. "Use belly drum!"

"Double kick!" Niko shouted. Litten leapt through the air, spun around, and kicked Hariyama's upper chest with double kick before being swatted away by his opponent's hand in what seemed like an effortless swing. The Fire Cat was thrown off of the platform and onto the ground behind the referee. He tried to get back up, but couldn't.

"Litten is unable to battle, Hariyama is the winner!" the referee declared. "Challenger Niko will now use his second and final Pokémon!"

"Litten, return," Niko said. His next choice was an obvious one—there was one Pokémon that he trusted could take on this kind of Pokémon. "Pikipek, I choose you!"

"What…?" Warren wondered. When the others looked at him, only Charlotte understood his confusion. "Pikipek has never been used in an official battle before…why is Niko using it against a Kahuna's strongest Pokémon?"

Melinda smirked. "Niko has too much trust in his Pokémon. That's _not_ a bad thing."

Warren nodded. He agreed, but it still concerned him. Was Niko taking an unnecessary risk here?

"Pikipek, use echoed voice!" Niko shouted. The Woodpecker Pokémon cried out, sound waves rippling the air around them. Hariyama, clearly disturbed by this, covered its ears with his massive hands before using, on Hala's command, arm thrust. The ordinarily large Pokémon charged across the field before attempting to use its attack. Pikipek skillfully dodged each one. _This_ , Niko knew, was why Pikipek was battling. It knew how to evade moves better than any of Niko's Pokémon, despite it being larger than Cutiefly.

Pikipek then used peck on Niko's command, slamming down its long beak on the Arm Thrust Pokémon's shoulder before being unexpectedly swatted away. Regaining its orientation, the Woodpecker Pokémon used echoed voice again. This time, the sound waves produced a stronger rippling effect that certainly disturbed Hariyama, enraging it and causing it to charge at Pikipek. It successfully used knock off to thrust the flying type into the platform before trying to slam down its hands with arm thrust. Pikipek managed to evade the second move before using echoed voice again.

"I see your strategy, Niko," Hala said as Hariyama returned to his side of the platform. "You're tough—and your strategy of irritation is certainly creative. But it ends here," his pulled out a white z-ring and latched it onto his wrist. "Hariyama!" he shouted, producing a series of synchronized poses alongside the Arm Thrust Pokémon. Niko witnessed the z-power transfer from Hala's body—and the z-ring—into Hariyama, producing an orange aura around it. "Use All-Out Pummeling!"

Hariyama repeatedly thrust its hands outwards, firing off large orange, hand-shaped energy at Pikipek.

"Dodge them!" Niko shouted. Pikipek did so, successfully evading the first few before accidentally turning the wrong way and getting hit by several more of the energy blasts. The Woodpecker Pokémon collapsed onto his back, struggling to get back up. "Pikipek…come on. You're tough, buddy. You can do this!" Niko said. "Use echoed voice!"

"Hmm…not many Pokémon survive All-Out Pummeling…" Hala said. "Well done, Niko. Hariyama, block it with arm thrust!"

The echoed voice was difficult to block, since the arm thrust didn't interact with sound waves. In addition, Hariyama was too pained by the loud, annoying sound emitting from Pikipek that it had to cover its ears to shield its eardrums from being too damaged.

"Peck!" Niko commanded. Pikipek charged forward and tapped Hariyama in the shoulder before repeating the attack multiple times on different parts of the body—stomach, arms, other shoulder. Hariyama attempted to swat it away successfully. That's when Niko called Pikipek back to him. "Let's finish this, alright?" an exhausted Pikipek nodded, knowing perfectly well what his trainer was about to command.

Niko raised his z-ring up to show Hala before performing a series of practiced, synchronized moves with Pikipek and finishing off by shouting "Breakneck Blitz!" out loud. The Woodpecker Pokémon burst into an orange glow as he rocketed down the platform towards Hariyama, colliding into it with the full force of its body. Hariyama took the hit before falling backwards onto the platform. It crashed onto the ground in defeat.

"Hariyama is unable to battle, Pikipek is the winner! And the victory goes to Niko from Pallet Town!"

Niko ran over to Pikipek, who crashed into the ground from exhaustion. "Well done, buddy. For a first battle, that wasn't too bad!" He then returned the Woodpecker Pokémon. He stood up and turned to Hala, who was holding a small, brown z-crystal in his hands.

"Niko, congrats. As proof of your victory here, I award you with Fightinium-Z. It's the z-crystal I used in our battle, and allows your Pokémon to use All-Out Pummeling, provided that they know a fighting type move. Congrats again," he gave Niko the crystal and shook his hand. "Now, Charlotte?"

"Yes," Charlotte said exchanging spots with Niko. He briefly side-hugged her before leaving the platform. When she stood up to face Hala, she noticed he was briefly gone—presumably to heal up his own Pokémon.

* * *

"This will be a battle between Island Kahuna Hala and Charlotte from Castelia City," the same referee declared before explaining the rules. When he finished, he allowed both trainers to begin.

"Crabrawler, I choose you!" Hala shouted, summoning the same blue crab from before.

"Noibat, you're up!" Charlotte shouted. "Use screech!"

"Protect!" Hala commanded. Crabrawler created a spherical forcefield around itself to protect from the annoyingly loud sound. Noibat then dove down to use tackle, only to be met by Crabrawler's power-up punch, which hit the Sound Wave Pokémon directly in the face and launched her backwards. "Now, pursuit!"

"Noibat, use gust!" Charlotte commanded. Noibat furiously flapped her wings, whipping up a strong wind around her that hit Crabrawler, knocking it off of its feet. "Use screech again!"

"Crabrawler, protect!" Hala commanded. The Boxing Pokémon obliged, rendering the screech once again useless. Noibat then swooped down to use tackle, only to be once more slammed by power-up punch, rocketing her backwards and off of the platform. Quickly, she got back into the air and used gust as powerfully as she could, which seemed to now have an effect on the blue crustacean.

"Use tackle!" Charlotte shouted, hoping for a miracle. As Noibat got close, like Niko, she switched her strategy last minute. "Gust!"

Noibat pelted Crabrawler with a powerful gust of wind that knocked it off of its feet. She then dove down to use tackle and managed to avoid a lame attempt at power-up punch before rising back into the air. Charlotte commanded the Sound Wave Pokémon to use tackle once more, only to ask her to use screech as soon as she collided with Crabrawler. Noibat not only knocked it to the ground, but also pierced its eardrums.

"Finish it off with gust!" Charlotte shouted, thrusting her hand forward. Noibat vigorously flapped her wings, which seemed to do a fair amount of damage to Crabrawler. However, the Boxing Pokémon managed to step forward and slam its fist into Noibat before being blown away in defeat. Noibat, seriously injured by the power-up punch, also collapsed onto the ground.

"Noibat and Crabrawler are both unable to battle! Charlotte and Hala will send out their final Pokémon!" the referee declared.

"Hariyama, I choose you!"

"Rowlet, you're up!" Charlotte commanded, summoning the Grass Quill Pokémon. "Use leafage!"

"Block it with arm thrust!" Hala commanded. Hariyama thrust forward its palms vigorously, blocking the onslaught of glowing green leaves. "Now, use belly drum!"

"Now, Rowlet!" Charlotte shouted, raising her z-ring. It was a bit early, but she knew belly drum only increased the attack power of Hariyama and, which a move that hit directly like Breakneck Blitz, it made more sense to just use it then. Charlotte and Rowlet synchronized their movements before the latter burst into an orange aura. "Use Breakneck Blitz!"

Rowlet cooed wildly as he charged forward, his body shimmering a light orange color. He crashed into Hariyama, who felt the full force of the attack and was knocked back a few steps. Rowlet then tried to escape after completing the exhausting move, only to be slammed into the ground by knock off. The force of the attack nearly broke the wooden platform underneath, leaving Rowlet sitting there, struggling to move.

Hala and Hariyama waited to see what the owl would do. Slowly, but surely, he got back onto his feet, albeit stumbling a little. He turned around to look up at the menacing Hariyama before charging forward and using peck, which seemed to irk the Arm Thrust Pokémon, who slapped Rowlet aside as if he were some fly.

"Our turn," Hala said, his z-ring glowing. Like with his battle against Niko, Hala synchronized his movements with Hariyama's before using All-Out Pummeling. The large, orange bursts of energy hit Rowlet consecutively, rocketing him backwards, across the platform, and nearly into Charlotte's arms before crashing into the front wall of a nearby house and collapsing in front of the door in defeat.

"Rowlet is unable to battle, Hariyama is the winner! The victory goes to Island Kahuna Hala!"

Charlotte was devastated. However, she put aside her feelings and ran over to Rowlet, who was laying there unconscious. She picked him up, returned him and, in a state of shock, only looked up at Hala. Niko tried to hug her, but she held out her arm—the last thing she wanted in that moment was comfort.

"Charlotte…" Hala said, walking the length of the platform and down the steps towards his defeated opponent. "If you wish to learn how you might be able to defeat me, go to the Mahalo Trail," he briefly tilted his head to his left, clearly referencing the dark, forested tunnel nearby. "I think you'll find what you need there."

"O-okay…" Charlotte said with a light sniffle. She just needed to be alone for a moment, more than anything. Defeat, regardless of the opponent, was not an easy thing for her to deal with.

* * *

 **Author's Note: So, Charlotte didn't do so well. What will she find in the Mahalo Trail? Can she defeat Hala on her second try? Find out in the next episode!**


	10. Conflict

**Episode 10: Conflict**

Charlotte spent some time alone in their lodgings, trying to gather her thoughts. Not only did she lose, but she didn't quite know how to improve. _What did I do wrong? Where did my strategy—did I even have a strategy—go wrong?_ She thought to herself. On top of all of this, she and Niko still hadn't resolved their personal problems, which was weighing down more on her than she had originally thought.

She knew one thing, though—she needed to train, and needed to check out the place Hala told her about upon her defeat. "Mahalo Trail…" she muttered to herself. "What's that?"

"Charlotte?" Niko entered their room. It wasn't a Pokémon Center, per se, but it was the closest thing to one in Iki Town. The beds were low to the ground, the walls made entirely of wood with some sort of concrete-like material lining the insides (supposedly) to give it a more natural feel. Charlotte was sitting cross-legged on her patterned blanket, with some sort of yellow and black creature etched on it, when Niko sat down on the side of the bed, placing his hand in hers. "How're you doing?"

"Fine," Charlotte said. "I'm fine."

"Are you?" Niko pressed further, albeit in a kind tone. He didn't want to give his girlfriend the wrong impression.

She sighed. "No, no I'm not. Since the Lumiose Conference I've only won one battle—at Verdant Cavern. Niko…what am I doing wrong?"

"You're doing nothing wrong," he assured her. "Not that I can see, at least. I mean, I think you could have waited on using your z-move, but that was really it."

"Yeah, I figured that, too," she said, sounding understanding. "I just…I feel terrible right now."

"I know you do. But you shouldn't, because you're so much stronger than you think," Niko said, caressing her hand. "You just have to believe that," he stood up again. "I'll leave you alone, if you'd like."

"Alright," she said, and Niko left the room.

"How's she doing?" Warren asked as Niko left. Melinda was standing with them as well. Niko shrugged in response and continued walking. "That's it?"

"Hmm? Yeah, she's fine," Niko explained. Sensing tension, he smiled. "She's doing better."

Warren nodded, the concern slowly leaving his face. "That's good to hear," he said before walking with his friend and Melinda. Since Niko and Charlotte had their argument, Warren had been trying to patch things up between them, but to little avail. He hoped that, with her loss, things might change between his friends.

* * *

Charlotte had difficulty sleeping that evening. She got up, trying not to wake up Niko and, grabbing Noibat's and Rowlet's pokéballs, returned them and left the room. Unbeknownst to her, Niko noticed her absence.

Sneakily, she left their lodging and followed the moonlit path through Iki Town until she got to the platform she battled Hala on. That's when she noticed the Mahalo Trail. It wasn't like Charlotte to just do something like this—she used to be scared of the dark as a child. But she didn't know what else _to_ do, since she couldn't sleep. Plus, in a way, she felt drawn to it. Almost as if it were beckoning her.

Summoning Noibat and Rowlet to join her, Charlotte entered the forested tunnel.

It was an uphill, narrow pathway that wound upward through the mountains behind Iki Town. After several minutes, she made it to the top, and saw an opening that led to an unstable-looking wooden bridge.

"Is _this_ what Hala wanted me to see? Some bridge?" Charlotte said aloud. Slowly approaching the bridge, she noticed it was overlooking a massive ravine. "What the…?" looking ahead, she realized she might have to cross it. "Alright…Rowlet, Noibat, do you think this is a good idea?"

Noibat chittered nervously, but Rowlet seemed ready for the adventure. Nevertheless, both of them reassured Charlotte in their own way. She felt confident that, if something did happen, she could rely on them to help her.

It didn't help that she was also afraid of heights, and had a slight issue of vertigo. Taking her first step, albeit slowly, she lightly pressed on the wooden plank, creaking it a bit, but eventually finding firm ground on it. Charlotte felt more confident with that first step, and took another.

And another.

And another.

It was getting easier to take each successive step. Her two Pokémon flew above, slowly moving to keep pace with her. Eventually, she got halfway across when she felt the bridge under her give way. The planks behind her and in front of her also gave way, and she found herself briefly in freefall until Rowlet and Noibat caught her shirt, each taking one side of it. She hung in place, as neither were strong enough to pick her up on their own.

Then she felt herself being lifted up, two hands around each side of her torso. Placed on the next closest plank, she turned around to see Niko standing there, quickly bringing her into a hug.

"Geez, Charlotte," Niko said exasperatedly. "Don't go killing yourself, please."

"I—I wasn't…" she said.

"I wasn't being serious," Niko added with a light laugh. "What're you doing here, anyways?"

"I should be asking you the same thing. Hala told me to go to the Mahalo Trail."

Niko let go and, still on the bridge, looked around. "And…?"

"I don't know. That's all he said," she looked to the other end of the bridge. "I guess I'm meant to cross it?"

"I think so. Let's go, then," Niko said.

"Huh?"

"Whatever it is, why don't we do it together?" Niko suggested. He noticed Charlotte's concerned expression quickly alter into one of sweet relief. She didn't quite realize it, but that's exactly what she wanted to do.

Niko was the first to jump across the broken planks. As he landed, he made room for Charlotte and held out his hand, assuring her that she wouldn't fall. Noibat and Rowlet did the same, and she made the jump, grabbing Niko's hand and allowing herself to be pulled into him. Without any further difficulty, they crossed the bridge and continued onwards.

Before them, in a small enclave flanked by two half-spherical statues on each side, was another entrance, only this time made of stone. Unlike Mahalo Trail, this entrance clearly seemed to lead to a cave of sorts. The couple looked at one another before entering.

There was a larger tunnel with a stone pathway running through the center of the room, and led to a second entrance on the other side of roughly the same size as the initial one. When the couple got there, they found themselves in another room with two stairways on each end of a raised platform, propped up by columns of stones of varying sizes. In the back of the room, on the platform, was a shrine of sorts. And in the center of the shrine was a shell-like object.

The shell was mostly yellow with black, orange, and white markings. There were three white triangular markings with black edges on the top of each half of the shell, which created diamond-shapes when the shell was closed. Each diamond was edged in black. A small beak sat near the bottom of the shell, with an orange triangle on each side edged with a white rim. Wing-shaped structures protruded at the top of each side of the shell.

However, the shell was also floating, and there was something coming out from the bottom. As Niko and Charlotte were about to turn around, the shell opened, and revealed a creature inside.

The creature's head and torso were black with white markings on its chest, just above its eyes, and on top of its head. Extending from the top of its head was a large, orange plume with bristles along the back. The bottom of this crest went all the way to its neck, where it divided its face in half and created a beak-like nose. It had small, blue eyes with yellow markings behind them. The lower half of its body was orange with four pointed projections: one short spine on the front and two short spines in the back, with one longer spine between them. These spines resembled a bird's tail feathers. Its thin arms had round, yellow structures encircling its shoulders. On each arm was the shell that now appeared to look like half of a bird mask, and its hands end in two large claws to create the beak for the mask.

"What the…" Niko said, backing away slightly. Feeling threatened, Rowlet and Noibat got in front of Charlotte, ready to fight. The creature then leapt off of the platform to get closer to the group standing in front of it. It reached its right claw forward towards Charlotte, albeit slowly, but was quickly met with resistance by Noibat, who used gust, and Rowlet, who used leafage. Neither seemed to faze the creature, who simply ignored the attacks brought down upon it to place a single talon-like finger on Charlotte's forehead. She shivered as it lightly touched her, before backing away and using some sort of electrical move to blast all of them away. Rowlet and Noibat cried out as they were rocketed into the side walls of the room, while Niko and Charlotte were thrown backwards, the latter getting caught by her boyfriend and landing beside him. "You fine?" Niko asked.

"Mhmm. I…I feel calm," she said, slowly sitting up. "Who are you?" she asked the creature. It didn't respond, only bounced left and right before flying back onto the platform and closing its shell. Confused, she turned to Niko. "Look, I'm—mm," she paused as Niko kissed her.

"I'm sorry," Niko said moments later. "Actually, though. I didn't mean to say those things to you, and I didn't mean to start anything. I guess…I just feel stressed out. I feel like the standards have been raised for me because I'm now a Conference Champion."

"They haven't, Niko."

"I know, but it's hard to get out of my head. You know? I can't help but think that I need to prove to myself—and to everyone around me—that I'm that strong, and all the time."

"Well, I think you're amazing," Charlotte said. "I'll never hold you to those standards, as long as you're doing the best that you can," she said before hugging him. They stood up and looked at one another. "I'm sorry for lashing out at you, too. I guess I'm still hurt by my loss in the Lumiose Conference, and feel like I need to do better. Losing hurts, you know? I don't want to be a loser. I—"

"You'll never be a loser, Charlotte."

"Thanks, Niko. It's hard not to think about that when you haven't done very well recently."

"You're still doing better than I did. You're a stronger, more confident trainer than I was. If we had started at the same time, you'd have kicked my ass to the moon and back!"

Charlotte laughed. "I think, in some ways, we've had the same problem. Now, and in the past."

"And we solved it together," Niko added.

"Yep," Charlotte hugged him again. "I think…we should get going, too. I don't want to wake up that…thing again."

"Agreed."

* * *

"I'm ready," Charlotte said as Hala opened the door.

"Oh? So quickly?" he asked.

"Yes. I went down the Mahalo Trail, like you suggested," she then relayed her experience there, albeit brief. When she finished speaking, Hala's eyes widened.

"You met Tapu Koko…" he said.

"Who?"

"Melemele's Island Deity. Each island has one. Tapu Koko resides in the Ruins of Conflict. He must've blessed you in some way. Wow…it's rare to be blessed by an Island Deity."

"Have you?" Charlotte asked, still standing in Hala's doorway.

"Of course. The Deity chooses the Island Kahunas. I have a close relationship with Tapu Koko, and pray to him before any tough battle, like with yours and Niko's the previous day. Charlotte, consider yourself—and Niko—very lucky."

"Thank you for the suggestion, Hala."

The Kahuna smirked. "My pleasure. Now, about our battle…"

Later that afternoon, Iki Town gathered for yet another battle between Hala and Charlotte. Niko, Warren, Melinda, and Kukui stood near the platform to watch. Ilima, who had seen her first match, had to get back to the Trainer's School, and Hau had other duties to attend to, and also couldn't make it.

Like the previous day, the referee explained the rules of the match and, when finished, allowed Charlotte and Hala to summon their first Pokémon.

"Hariyama, I choose you!" he shouted. Charlotte was caught off guard but, after a brief look towards Niko, steeled herself and prepared for the long fight ahead.

"Noibat, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning the Sound Wave Pokémon. "Use screech!"

"Hariyama, belly drum!" Hala commanded. Despite being disturbed by the loud noise, Hariyama slammed its massive hands against its stomach, presumably increasing its power. Noibat followed up with a gust. "Arm thrust!" Hala shouted when Noibat dove in for a tackle. The Sound Wave Pokémon swiftly evaded the attack before spinning horizontally through the air and landing the tackle.

"Noibat, use supersonic!" Charlotte commanded. The little bat flew backwards before releasing vibrating sound waves from her large ears on her head. Hariyama stumbled a little, shaking the platform underneath him, before collapsing on a knee. "Now, gust!"

"Hariyama, belly drum!" Hala shouted, but the Arm Thrust Pokémon had difficulty standing back up. Once it did, it had to kneel a second time to brace itself for the gust and subsequent tackle. "Arm thrust!"

Noibat dodged the oncoming arm thrust, only to realize it wasn't intended for her—Hariyama was only aiming for the ground! But not intentionally: it was out of confusion.

"Let's take advantage of this," Charlotte muttered, making an x-pose with her arms. "Noibat!"

 _What is she doing…?_ Niko wondered. Hariyama was a powerful Pokémon—it would take a lot more than a z-move to bring it down, even if it was confused. Charlotte was, again, prematurely using Breakneck Blitz.

Nevertheless, Charlotte and Noibat synchronized their moves before the latter fired off in an orange streak, crashing into Hariyama and knocking it onto its back.

"Use gust!" Charlotte shouted out loud. Noibat, although exhausted, aggressively flapped her wings, creating a gust of wind that kept Hariyama down on its back. "Now, finish it off with tackle!"

"Arm thrust!" Hala commanded. In its confusion, Hariyama lifted one of its large, gloved hands directly upwards, which Noibat dodged. The Sound Wave Pokémon crashed down on Hariyama with an unusual amount of power, nearly breaking the platform underneath it. Noibat spun backwards through the air before re-orienting herself in front of Charlotte. However—somehow—Hariyama managed to get back up again. The z-move didn't do what it was supposed to do.

"Huh?" Charlotte said, feeling a sudden loss of confidence.

"You can do it, Charlotte!" Niko shouted out. "Trust in Noibat!"

Charlotte briefly turned to Niko and nodded. He was right. "Noibat, use supersonic again, and follow it up with screech!"

"Belly drum!" Hala shouted. Hariyama slammed its hands against its stomach once again and prepared for the onslaught of sound moves. It clearly tried to fight through the confusion, as it slowly took steps forward on the platform towards Noibat, who continued to screech loudly. "Arm thrust!"

Hariyama aimlessly threw its hands around, thrusting the air while Noibat whipped up a gust to nearly knock it off of its feet.

"Now, tackle!" Charlotte commanded. Noibat charged downwards and struck Hariyama in the chest, knocking it to the ground. The Arm Thrust Pokémon struggled to get back up before eventually succumbing to defeat.

"Hariyama is unable to battle, Noibat is the winner!" the referee declared. "Kahuna Hala will now send out his second and final Pokémon!"

"Hariyama, return," Hala said. "Well done, Charlotte. I was not wrong to send you off to Mahalo Trail, I suppose. Crabrawler, I choose you!"

"Noibat, let's keep going," Charlotte said. The Sound Wave Pokémon chittered excitedly. "Use screech!"

"Protect!" Hala commanded. When Noibat used gust and then, predictably, tackle, Hala commanded the Boxing Pokémon to use power-up punch. The orange-brown fist slammed into Noibat, against her face, and rocketed her backwards. She crashed onto the wooden platform and rolled for a moment before falling flat on her face. Slowly, she got back up onto her feet—after stumbling once—and used screech, again on Charlotte's command. "Power-up punch!"

Crabrawler scuttled across the battlefield rather quickly, slamming its fist once more into Noibat, who attempted to dodge before flying into the air, but missed her chance and was slammed back into the ground.

"Gust!" Charlotte shouted and, from the ground, Noibat tried whipping up a gust of wind. It failed to do much to her opponent, who slammed its fist down a third time successfully, ultimately defeating the Sound Wave Pokémon.

"Noibat is unable to battle, Crabrawler wins!" the referee declared. "Charlotte will now use her second and final Pokémon!"

"Rowlet, you're up!" Charlotte shouted, summoning the Grass Quill Pokémon. "Use leafage!"

"Crabrawler, block it with power-up punch!" Hala commanded. The Boxing Pokémon attempted to punch its way out of the attack, hitting the flurry of leaves with multiple strikes of its spherical blue claws. It then scuttled forward and tried to use pursuit on Rowlet, who dodged the move by shooting up until the air.

"Use leafage again!" Charlotte shouted, hoping to keep their distance from the attack. Rowlet fired off a series of green leaves at the Boxing Pokémon, who attempted to dodge but couldn't. "Now, use peck!"

"Power-up punch!" Hala commanded. Both Pokémon collided, with Rowlet's beak crashing into the blue, spherical claw, rocketing him back into the air. "Pursuit!"

"Rowlet, use leafage!" Charlotte commanded. She figured that this was one of the only ways she could get around power-up punch-by staying airborne and using long-range moves. However, leafage is all Rowlet knew.

"Hmm…" Hala said, looking down at his z-ring. "Alright, Crabrawler!" he said, his ring lighting up. Both of them struck synchronized poses before transferring the z-energy from Hala to Crabrawler. "Use All-Out Pummeling!" he shouted.

"Rowlet, leafage into the attack!" Charlotte shouted. She had an idea, and could only pray it would work—if not, she had no idea if Rowlet would survive.

The Grass Quill Pokémon unleashed a torrent of glowing green leaves at its opponent, who was busy thrusting orange energy blasts in the shape of hands towards Rowlet. Once the attack was finished, Hala and Crabrawler—as well as the audience—all looked around. Where was Rowlet?

"Now!" Charlotte commanded, and the little green owl quickly descended to the ground, his beak a bright white color. Rowlet crashed on Crabrawler's back before spinning backwards. "Leafage!" she shouted. Rowlet whipped up a vortex of green leaves to hit Crabrawler in the back as it was still reeling from the peck attack. The boxing Pokémon fell forward on its face, unable to get back up.

"Crabrawler is unable to battle, Rowlet is the winner!" the referee declared. "The winner is Charlotte from Castelia City!"

Charlotte breathed a heavy sigh of relief as an exhausted Rowlet flew into her arms. "Haha! You did great, Rowlet!" she said, hugging him tightly. "I'm so proud of you."

Rowlet cooed happily before falling asleep in her arms.

Hala then walked up to Charlotte, a light-brown z-crystal in his hand. "You did it, Charlotte. You've defeated me and have cleared the trials on Melemele Island. As a reward, I give to you Fightinium-Z. It allows you to use All-Out Pummeling."

"Thanks, Hala," Charlotte said, taking the z-crystal and pocketing it. At the moment, she had no use for it.

"Now, you and Niko should head to Akala Island to begin the trials there. I'll arrange for you to meet the Island Kahuna—Olivia—there, should you wish it."

"Congrats, Charlotte!" Melinda shouted from the crowd as they all cheered for her.

Charlotte turned to Melinda and smiled before casually waving back to her. "That'd be great," she said to Hala as Niko and Warren joined her on the platform. Niko brought her in for a hug before kissing her forehead.

"Congrats," he muttered.

"All thanks to you," she replied.

"Huh?"

"Nothing."


	11. The front door to Akala Island

**Episode 11: The front door to Akala Island**

"Popplio, disarming voice!" Melinda commanded. The Sea Lion Pokémon roared out loud, disrupting Hariyama's attempts at belly drum. "Now, finish it off with aqua jet!"

Popplio charged forward, slamming Hariyama directly in the chest and knocking it backwards in defeat. Once Popplio was declared the winner and, by extension, Melinda as well, Niko and his friends cheered out loud, watching their friend and rival pick up her over-excited Popplio and hugging it. Hala walked forward and, just like with Niko and Charlotte, awarded her with a Fightinium-z.

"Well done, Melinda!" Niko said, hugging his friend. "All that training really paid off!"

"Thanks, Niko! Of course, it did! Popplio here is getting so much stronger," she said, looking at the sea lion in her arms. It cheered happily as well. She began walking with Niko and his friends to a small restaurant to celebrate their victory. As they did, Professor Kukui stopped them.

"Hey, cousins!" he said excitedly.

"Hi, Professor," Niko said. "What's up?"

"I was going to ask you four the same thing," Kukui said. "Now that you've cleared the trials on Melemele, I assume you're heading to Akala Island?" Niko and Charlotte nodded and, after a moment, so did Melinda. "Didn't you say you have a friend there, too?"

"Yeah, JJ's living on Akala Island now," Niko mentioned.

"JJ!?" Melinda asked. "He lives here now?"

"Yeah, he owns a daycare on Akala Island," Niko said, which seemed to surprise Melinda a little. "He's…grown up a bit," he said with a laugh.

"Sounds like it. I remember him wanting to be a Pokémon Breeder, though, but that's it," Melinda said. Niko didn't remember many conversations that she had had with JJ. "So where is he on Akala Island?"

"He says he is. Professor, are there trials on Akala?" Niko asked.

"Yeah, cousin! Hala said he would hook you three up with the Island Kahuna on Akala Island. There's a boat that could take you there from Hau'oli City early tomorrow. Sound good?" Niko and his friends each turned to look at one another before nodding in agreement. "Perfect! I'll tell Hala, and we'll get ya set up!" Kukui then strode off towards Hala, who looked like he was deep into a conversation with someone.

"So, Akala then?" Niko asked his friends. All three of them nodded. "You too, Melinda?"

"What?" she asked, almost absentmindedly.

"Are you coming with us?"

"Oh! Well, I—yes, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all," Niko said with a smile. Warren and Charlotte expressed their agreement as well.

* * *

The next morning, Niko and his friends set off for the port in Hau'oli City, where they met with Hala and Professor Kukui. The boat sitting at rest in the port was an ordinary white boat, capable of transporting, at most, a couple dozen passengers. Nearing the port, Kukui waved to them.

"Morning, cousins!" he shouted. "Ready to set off for Akala Island?"

The group nodded. Niko had no idea what to expect on Akala Island, except that he would meet up with one of his long-time friends and that he would compete in that island's trials and eventually its Grand Trial. He also relished the idea of getting to meet and experience battling new and different kinds of Pokémon only found on that island, as he had with Melemele Island.

"So, you'll be setting off for Heahea City. It's a port town that most visitors to Akala Island start at. Niko, you in particular might find it interesting, since the city was founded by trainers from the Kanto and Johto regions."

"Oh, really now?" Niko asked, not expecting the Kanto influence on Alola to be anything but small.

"Yep. You'll also be meeting with the Island Kahuna, Olivia, who will greet you at the port. I think she'll be accompanied by two of the island's trial captains, and two former students of mine," Kukui continued. "They'll get you three started off on the right foot. Well, maybe not Olivia."

"Why not her?"

"She's…clumsy. Get it?" Kukui said with a wry smirk. Niko noticed Hala facepalming.

"He always does this…" the Island Kahuna remarked. "Anyway, you'll find Olivia to be quite a charming woman. But never underestimate her: she's incredibly tough."

"Noted," Niko said before turning to Charlotte. "Ready to go?"

"Of course!" They all shook hands with Hala and high-fived Kukui before boarding the boat set for Heahea City, which would take roughly an hour to get to.

During the boat ride, Niko, Charlotte, and Warren summoned their teams of Pokémon, as did Melinda. Litten lay down on a nearby seat to bath in the sunlight while Cutiefly flew around with Noibat and Rowlet in the air. Pikipek perched himself atop the roof of the boat, watching everyone below. Melinda's Pokémon—Popplio and Growlithe—sat and watched the boat progress through the water, as well as point and cry out to the Pokémon in the air and sea.

"Remind you of anything?" Niko asked, pointing to a flock of wingull gliding above them.

"I should be asking you that question," Melinda said teasingly. "Probably the only time you've ever lost to a pelipper."

"One of the few times I've fought one," Niko said. "Actually, whenever I see a wingull or pelipper, I think of you."

"Really?"

"Well, not in like a romantic way, obviously. But they remind me of you and our battle at the Ever Grande Conference. After all, why wouldn't they?"

"I gotcha," Melinda said, "I usually don't see sceptiles, but if I ever did, I'd definitely think of you as well."

"If we ever battle each other in the Alola League, I'll have to show you some of my other Pokémon. I chose not to in Hoenn to change things up a bit," Niko explained.

"That makes sense. I wonder what we'll find on Akala Island."

"I've thought the same thing. I wonder what kinds of Pokémon we'll all be meeting. I wonder what kind of Pokémon JJ has."

"Oh, that's right. I hope he's doing well. Tell him I say hi, okay?"

"Of course, I will," Niko said. "Which reminds me—how's that one guy. What was his name?"

"Oh, Nero? Yeah, we're…not together. It didn't last very long, actually."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I was in a relationship in Sinnoh—where I went after Hoenn—and that didn't last long either. But it was good for me, I think."

"Why is that?"

"Well, developmentally speaking. Not all relationships end well, and when they don't at least you've learned something, right?"

"I suppose so. I don't think I learned much from Nero. Other than to not trust most men."

"Oh, did he-?"

"Yep. Damn cheater," she muttered to herself. "Men suck, Niko."

"I—"

"Most men."

"I was gonna say I agreed with you. But yeah, most men do," Niko replied, looking out onto the ocean. "What do you think of these Island Trials? How do they hold up to Pokémon Gyms?"

"Is this an interview?" Melinda asked jokingly. "Well, I think they're really cool, actually. Granted, I've only tried one trial and Grand Trial, so you should ask me after I complete the ones on Akala, but I like the change of pace they offer. What about you?"

"Pretty much the same thing. Although, I'm worried that I won't be able to do as well in them."

"What do you mean? You defeated Hala pretty handily, and with newer Pokémon no less."

"I always feel like the standards are going to be higher for me now that I'm a Conference Champion. I know I shouldn't think like that, but it's hard not to."

"I getcha. You've never been in this position before, it's only natural that you'll feel like you need to keep up with yourself."

Niko nodded. As much as he enjoyed talking with Charlotte and Warren all the time, it was nice to have a different perspective. "We all just have to keep doing the best that we can, and trust in our Pokémon to help us out."

"Absolutely," Melinda said. They continued talking for a while about miscellaneous other things before Akala Island came into view. When Niko first saw it, he called his Pokémon over to check it out.

"See guys? That's where we're going next," Niko said, pointing to the island with a massive volcano in the middle of it, and a smaller auxiliary island that was connected by a relatively thin strip of land. "Akala Island."

Litten, sitting in Niko's arms, looked at it with his normal aloofness. Cutiefly fluttered around happily, although it might not have been due to their imminent arrival. Lastly, Pikipek seemed intrigued, more than anything. He hadn't been with Niko for very long, yet long enough to have felt the larger purpose to what they were doing.

Charlotte and her Pokémon seemed relatively excited. Noibat was chittering wildly while Rowlet, having just awoken from a nap, seemed about as pleased as any groggy owl would be. As Charlotte held Rowlet in her arms, she felt confident about their upcoming adventures on Akala Island.

Warren and his Pokémon were excited, but it was only Poliwhirl that sensed something was amiss with their trainer. The brown-haired writer that was Warren leaned against the rail of the boat, looking like he was deep in thought. He was, to be sure, but it wasn't due to any sort of curiosity about the new island. It had more to do with the talk he had had with his Tadpole Pokémon several days prior, the one about his larger purpose in all of this. As they approached a new island, with new Pokémon and new challenges for his friends, it further put everything in perspective for Warren, who in the moment felt purposeless.

As they arrived in the port in Heahea City, the four of them returned their Pokémon and exited the boat. Waiting for them, near what looked like the main street of the city, were three women.

The one in the middle was a tall, dark-skinned woman with dark brown eyes and short black hair. She wore pink crystal earrings, a crystal necklace and a crystal ring on her right hip. She wore a light pink midriff top and pink shorts. A variety of anklets adorned both ankles and an equal amount of bracelets covered her left arm. A z-ring sat on her right wrist.

To the tall woman's left was a short woman with blue eyes and hair. She wore a white shirt with a dark blue undershirt and a long blue cape behind her back. Her skirt was long and blue with a light blue wave pattern at the bottom. She wore dark blue sandals, and a blue z-ring on her left wrist.

The final woman was slightly taller than the blue-haired one. She had tanned skin and green hair tied into two ponytails. The front of her hair was adorned by a pink flower that was tied together with a dark green band around her head. She wore a pink sleeveless shirt with a light teal shirt and denim shorts. Her shoes were forest green.

"You four must be from Melemele!" the tall woman in the middle said. "Welcome, I'm the Island Kahuna, Olivi—ahh!" she said as she tripped and fell on, well, nothing.

"Here," Niko said, reaching his hand down. Olivia took it and, once she stood up, scratched her head nervously. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. It, err, happens a lot. Anyway, I'm the Island Kahuna. Hala told me that three of you have cleared his Grand Trial and are ready for the next set of challenges, right?" Niko, Charlotte, and Melinda all nodded. "Perfect! Well, let me explain, then. Akala Island has three trials—the most of any island. Clear those three, and you can challenge me for my Grand Trial down near Konikoni City," she pointed towards the south, where the smaller half of Akala Island sat. "I've actually brought with me two of the trials captains. This is Lana," she said, referencing the blue-haired woman, "and Mallow," referencing the green-haired one.

"Alola!" Mallow shouted excitedly, walking up to shake their hands. Niko and his friends all gave their names in return.

"Alola," Lana said in a serene, clear tone. She seemed to have quite a simply demeanor to her that Niko found oddly pleasing. "You'll love my trial. Kyogre is the Totem Pokémon."

" _Kyogre_!?" Niko and Melinda both said aloud. In response, Lana simply stuck out her tongue. She was joking. Her dry humor, Niko found, was fantastic.

"Kidding. It's just three Mega Gyarados,'" she said, now hardly trying to be serious.

"Do any of you have any questions?" Olivia asked. "Otherwise, I'd like to treat you four to some malasadas. The ones on Akala Island are to _die_ for."

"That'd be great," Warren said. The larger group of them all walked together to a shop nearby. Along the way, Mallow tried getting to know the Island Challengers, asking them questions about their background. She seemed interested in their hometowns in particular, especially Niko's.

"One of my closest friends from my childhood is from Pallet Town!" she said. "We went to school together, right Lana?"

"Oh, yes! It's been a while since we've seen him," she said, only showing a slight amount of excitement.

"It's been a couple years, I think," Mallow added. "I mean—sorry, I tend to get carried away sometimes. Pallet Town, then? You've competed in Pokémon gyms, right?"

"A few, yeah," Niko said with a smile.

"That's so _cool_. I haven't gotten a chance to. At least, not seriously. I became a trial captain a couple of years after leaving the Trainer's School on Melemele Island. Lana, I, and our friends Kiawe and Sophocles all became captains around the same time. After that, it was hard to get some time off to go challenge gyms in an entirely different region, you know?

"I get that," Niko said, thinking of JJ, who stopped travelling in part to pursue his career in Pokémon breeding…but also because Niko abandoned him. "What's your trial about?"

"Oh, you'll see," she said with a wink. "But it is in the Lush Jungle. Island Challenger usually enjoy my trial in particular. The Akala trials are, I think, some of the more enjoyable ones."

"Kiawe's is pretty entertaining," Lana added. "He's the third captain here, up at the Wela Volcano. His involved dancing, which is odd since he doesn't usually like to dance."

"Well, he likes his own specific type of dancing," Mallow corrected her friend. "And yours _can_ be fun, if you're into water types."

"You also get to see a lot of swimmer boys," Lana said with a dreamy look in her eyes. "Anyway, mine is near Brooklet Hill, which is the closest to Heahea City."

"So, should we go for that one, first?" Charlotte asked.

"Up to you, of course, but challengers typically like to," Lana replied as they sat down with their Malasadas, which were small balls of deep-fried dough and coated with sugar. Niko tasted his and decided to give some to his Pokémon, all of whom seemed to enjoy them—even Cutiefly, who had the most difficulty eating such a relatively large piece of food.

"I think we should head there first, then," Niko decided. Charlotte and Warren nodded in agreement. "Oh, also…" he added, addressing the three women. "My friend runs a daycare on Akala Island. Do you know where that might be? His name is JJ."

"Oh, JJ?" Mallow asked excitedly. "You know him?"

"Yeah, we go way back," Niko explained. " _You_ know him?"

"I do! He lives in Paniola Town, and helps run the daycare center on Kiawe's farm!" Mallow said excitedly. "It's near Brooklet Hill, which is basically on the way to Lana's trial."

"How far would Paniola Town be from here?" Warren finally asked. Since arriving on Akala Island, he had remained largely silent.

"Quite a while, actually," Olivia finally said. "It'll take a little under a week to get there…right Lana?"

"Sort of. Depends on how fast you go, of course. If you're travelling by foot from here, then it's about four to five days."

Warren nodded, his question being adequately answered. Niko, Melinda, and Charlotte continued to make conversation with the captains and the Island Kahuna before the latter had to leave, supposedly to attend to some sort of group in Konikoni City.

"I've gotta go, but it was great meeting you all!" Olivia said, lightly side-hugging each of them in turn. "Lana, Mallow, keep me updated on their progress. Remember, once you've cleared all three of the trials here—Lana's, Mallow's, and Kiawe's—then you can take me on. Sound good?"

"Of course. And thanks for the malasadas," Niko said, standing up to shake Olivia's hand. She nodded back graciously before turning around and, after nearly tripping again, left the malasada shop. Shortly thereafter, Mallow and Lana also left, with the latter hoping to see them at Brooklet Hill for their upcoming trial.

After spending nearly a couple hours in the shop, the group walked out and saw the sun setting on Heahea City's port. It reminded Niko that they needed to head to the Pokémon Center to rest up for the following day, in which they would head for Brooklet Hill and Paniola Town.

"So, I guess this is good-bye?" Melinda said with a natural smile on her face.

"Good-bye?" Niko asked.

"Yeah, I'm gonna find a hotel room and, in the morning, head off towards Wela Volcano. I think I could get in a fair amount of training along the way."

"You could just come along to Brooklet Hill with us," Warren said, "we don't mind having you around at all!"

"No no, it's not that. I think Niko and I work better when we aren't breathing down each other's necks," she said with a wink, which almost offended Charlotte. "I—I mean, no—we both have our own journeys to go on. It's been great catching up, Niko. I hope we get to meet again while we're both in Alola, or even on Akala Island."

"It's been great seeing you again," Niko said, bringing in his rival for a hug. "And good luck with your trials!"

"Same to you, Conference Champion," Melinda turned to Charlotte and Warren. "Please keep this guy in check, will you? It was great getting to meet both of you!" she said, hugging each of them in turn. Warren and Charlotte both essentially repeated the words said to her before waving as Melinda set off towards the eastern part of the city, while the trio turned in the opposite direction towards the Pokémon Center. Their journey on Akala Island was just beginning.


	12. A reflective moment

**Episode 12: A reflective moment**

"Alright Litten!" Niko shouted, crossing his arms in front of him, "Let's go! Use All-Out Pummeling!" he continued, thrusting his fists forward multiple times before throwing a final punch and transferring the z-energy to his Pokémon, who absorbed the energy and fired off orange energy blasts in the shape of fists by kicking his legs out, as if he were using double kick normally. Niko then watched the blasts rocket across the road they were travelling near, disappearing into nothingness. "Well done, buddy!" Niko said, holding out his arms for Litten to jump into. The Fire Cat did so, albeit exhaustively.

"Not bad for a first try," Charlotte said with a smirk. Despite earning the Fightinium-z, she couldn't use it at the time, as none of her Pokémon knew fighting moves. She hoped, however, that an upcoming trial could give her another z-move to utilize.

"That looked awesome, Niko!" Warren said. "Mind if my Pokémon try against it?"

"I would, but Litten's pretty tired," Niko said, "unless you want to battle Pikipek or Cutiefly."

Warren thought for a moment before nodding. "Sure! My Tranquill versus your Pikipek?" Niko nodded, and the two took opposing ends of a makeshift battlefield.

The road to Paniola Town would take, according to Olivia, roughly four to five days. During that trip Niko, Charlotte, and Warren spent time training for the former two's next Island Trial at Brooklet Hill. The pathway to Paniola Town took them through route 4, a grassy, hilly route that was heavily forested in some parts. Niko and his friends spent a fair amount of their days training, to the point where their Pokémon felt exhausted until the following day.

"Pikipek, use echoed voice!" Niko commanded.

"Fight through it with air cutter!" Warren shouted. The Wild Pigeon Pokémon whipped up a frenzy of blue blades made of air and fired them from the tips of his wings, breaking through the sound waves emitted by Pikipek and striking the Woodpecker Pokémon, knocking him to the ground. "Now, quick attack into air slash!"

"Pikipek, block it with rock smash!" Niko shouted. His Pokémon kicked up in the air, hitting Tranquill's attempt to attack with his wings. "Now, use echoed voice!"

Pikipek released a powerful, _caw_ -like sound directly in Tranquill's face, forcing the Wild Pigeon Pokémon to fall backwards into the grass. Pikipek then shot back into the air just as Niko commanded him to use peck.

"Tranquill, quick attack!" Warren commanded. Tranquill shot into the air and slightly swerved to the right, then under and directly back up, slamming his wing into Pikipek's chest and rocketing the Woodpecker Pokémon high into the air. "Finish it off with air cutter!" he commanded, thrusting his hand to the side. Tranquill flapped his wings, firing off a series of blue air blades from the tips of his wings at Pikipek. The latter, upon being hit, crashed down into a nearby berry bush. Pikipek rolled out of it and collapsed onto the grass below in defeat.

"Pikipek!" Niko shouted, running towards his Pokémon. "Don't worry, buddy—you'll get your chance at a rematch soon. We just have to do some more training, first," he looked up at Warren. "Thanks for the battle, buddy. Tranquill seems to be getting better, too."

"Oh, absolutely!" Warren said with delight, petting the pigeon as he landed on his trainer's shoulder. "Pikipek seems to be doing better, too!"

"Yeah, he's a fighter, that's for sure," Niko said as he returned Pikipek to his pokéball. He stood up and turned to Charlotte, who was sitting down with her Pokémon, eating lunch under a tree. He went to sit down next to her, his hands resting behind him. "How're you?"

"Fine. You?" she said plainly, as if something was wrong. When Niko gave an inquisitive look, she finally smiled. "I'm _actually_ fine, Niko, thanks for asking."

"But, I—"

"You were going to," she said, lightly touching his hand pressed against the grass behind him, "and I appreciate that. But nothing's wrong with me, I assure you."

"Gotcha. Just wanted to check in. How are you feeling about the upcoming trial?"

"I think we need to train more. If it's a water one, then Rowlet needs to be at the top of his game and…I really don't think he is at this point," Charlotte said with a shrug. "But we'll see—maybe I can try teaching him a new move or something."

"That'd be nice. I should do the same with the others," he said, looking over at Cutiefly, who was happily buzzing around aimlessly, and Litten, who was curled up on a blanket resting from his recent use of a z-move. "But they're pretty out of it right now. Training still exhausts them."

"It's different when you're starting fresh," Charlotte said, "I've never really done that before. Even Noibat is sort of fresh, relatively speaking."

"That's how it was when I brought my Magneton with me to Johto…it was still Magnemite at the time, but it didn't have a whole lot of battling experience at the time. And then it got to Johto and kicked ass," Niko said with a smirk.

"You really like that Magneton, don't you?"

"I did—and still do. It's a happy little thing, and oddly powerful."

"Think you'll ever evolve it again?" Charlotte wondered, "After all, magneton can evolve into magnezone."

"That'd be up to it, honestly," Niko said, "Plus, that's an environmental evolution, right?" Charlotte nodded. "Then in that case, I'd have to travel to the right spot, so probably not. I like it as it is."

"Great answer," she said softly, leaning onto his shoulder. "Are you excited to see JJ again?"

"Oh, yeah!" Niko said, "It'll be awesome to see him in his element. I haven't in, well, years by now."

"I just haven't," Charlotte replied. As she sat back up, she noticed something running around in the bushes. "Did you see that?" she asked, looking at Niko.

"No?" he said. "What was it?"

"A…I don't know, actually," Charlotte stood up, catching Noibat's, Rowlet's, and Rotomdex's attention. "I'm going to go check it out, alright?"

"Do you want back-up?" Niko asked, and Charlotte shook her head before continuing on, leaving him and Warren behind. Niko turned to Warren, who simply shrugged and sat down next to him. "She's becoming more independent, I've noticed."

"That's not a bad thing, Niko," Warren replied. "You should be proud of her."

"Always am," Niko said. "Always am."

* * *

Charlotte crept through the berry bushes lining the edge of the pathway, and into the relatively dense forest beyond. She then saw something quickly rush past them, through a nearby bush and behind the tree right next to it. Charlotte then whispered for Noibat to use her echolocation to find the creature. Noibat quietly chittered in response before nodding and flying to their right.

Rowlet, Noibat, and Charlotte continued through the forest until they found something laying there in between two small bushes. It was a tiny, sheep-like Pokémon with pale yellow wool, blue skin, and a black and yellow striped tail with an orange bulb on the tip. From Charlotte's perspective, it looked adorable, even though it was clearly in some sort of pain.

"Rotomdex, what's wrong with it?"

" _Bzzzt, that's a Mareep, Charlotte. The Wool Pokémon, it's an electric type—_ "

"No! _What's_ wrong with it!" she shouted. Rotomdex then zoomed closer towards it, quietly examining the Wool Pokémon laying there. Its breathing seemed to be getting progressively heavier, as if it was poisoned, or simply incredibly exhausted.

" _I—I can't tell_ ," Rotomdex said nervously, " _I'm not programmed for medical purposes. Let me check my database for symptoms of…something_ ," it said, clearly trying. " _It seems to have been poisoned, Charlotte, but it's still hard to tell. We should take it to the others_."

Charlotte nodded, picking up the Mareep—it wasn't that heavy—and ran back towards her friends, the Wool Pokémon bleating weakly, its eyes still closed. The entire time, Charlotte's mind was racing—what _should_ she do; what _can_ she do? This Pokémon—this tiny, tiny Pokémon—was hurting for whatever reason, and it was on _her_ to fix it. She had done this only twice before in recent memory—when she caught her Frillish, and when her Skiddo evolved into Gogoat. In the former, the Pokémon was clearly injured; in the latter, it was sick for no apparent reason.

"Charlotte?" Niko asked worriedly, standing up. He and Warren ran over to Charlotte, who barreled past them to set down the mareep. "This…is a mareep. What's wrong with it?"

"I don't _know_ ," Charlotte said, only slightly panicking. "Wh-what do I do?"

"Here, let's give it some of these," Warren said, holding out some yellow berries. "Sitrus berries might help," he tried feeding them to the Wool Pokémon, but it simply rejected them. "Alright…umm…" he grabbed a washcloth. "Litleo, Poliwhirl, use ember and water gun on this—but just a little, alright?"

The two Pokémon combined attacks to spray hot water onto the washcloth, which Warren placed on the mareep's head. They waited for a moment, but nothing seemed to change.

"Rotomdex thinks its poisoned," Charlotte said, asking Rowlet to bring her bag over. The Grass Quill Pokémon eagerly did so, throwing it to his trainer. Charlotte caught it and quickly pulled it out of the air to search for her own berry bag (each of them had one). "Here, a pecha berry should do it," she tried feeding Mareep the pecha berry, and it seemed to take it. "There, is—is that better?" she asked.

Mareep chewed the berry before opening its eyes and looking up at Charlotte, then Niko, and finally Warren, before lowering its head back onto the ground to pass out.

Charlotte let out a deep sigh of relief. "Phew…now what should we do?"

"Wait for it to start feeling better," Niko said. "I mean, that's all we can do, right?"

Charlotte nodded and stood up again, presumably to take a walk. Niko got up to follow her, leaving Warren alone with the mareep and the rest of their Pokémon. The two were silent for a few minutes as they walked along the road before sitting on a nearby low-grade hill. Niko lay down against the hill, looking up at the pale blue, cloudless sky above. It sort of hurt to look at the sky, so he quickly closed them and lay there, feeling Charlotte quickly do the same.

"Fay had a mareep once," Niko said.

"Once?" Charlotte asked. "As in, he doesn't anymore?"

"No, he still does. He caught it when we were travelling in Johto, in the middle of the night, too. It only evolved once—into Flaaffy—but it was pretty strong nonetheless."

"Why are you saying this?"

"Because it's clear you want to catch it," Niko said, opening his eyes and turning to his left to see Charlotte staring back. "I saw it in your eyes," he said, pointing two fingers at her.

"I—I just wanted to help it, that's all," Charlotte said. This was the truth: she wanted to make the mareep feel better, and could only turn to Niko and Warren for help. "Honestly."

"I believe you," Niko replied, "but I think you'd do well with a mareep. That is, if it wants to join you."

"It would be nice…" she said, looking up at the sky, not as bothered by staring into its vastness as Niko was. "But you're right—it's not about what I want, necessarily. The mareep might not even want to get stronger!"

"It's not just about that, though," Niko argued, "not all Pokémon need to be caught to battle with. My Delibird, for example, just doesn't battle very often. Doesn't mean I don't want him around. I think your Smeargle, for some time, was the same way."

"She was," Charlotte said, thinking fondly of her first Pokémon. "You're right—plus the mareep seemed out of place—like it was lost or something. Maybe it doesn't even have a home."

"Maybe we can help find it's home," Niko added. Charlotte nodded in agreement, and they sat there for a while, soaking in the bright Alolan sun. After what seemed like half an hour, Niko sat up. "Anyway, let's get back to Warren. Maybe the mareep is starting to feel better."

* * *

Warren spent most of his time writing in his journal. Since getting to Alola, he had begun to write more self-reflection than simply his travels with Niko and Charlotte, and that particular day was no different. He wrote about his battle with Niko, then Charlotte finding the Mareep, and transitioned into his own thoughts and concerns.

 _Niko and Charlotte have just cleared one of four Grand Trials in Alola. They are, roughly speaking, one-fourth of the way done with their journey in Alola. It's going by faster than I thought it would, and that worries me a little. It's concerning because that means we'll be out of this region quicker than we were in Unova or Kalos, and then I have to, again, figure out what I'm going to do with my life. Will I continue with Niko and Charlotte, or will I stake out my own path, now that I've seen more of the world?_

 _I don't know that answer, and it's been bothering me a lot. When we were on Melemele Island, I talked with Poliwhirl about it (see entry from a week and a half ago: "On the cliffsides of Melemele"), and he didn't offer much—since he doesn't speak our language—but he seemed to at least sympathize with it. He's more of a battler, as are Tranquill and Litleo, while Leavanny is our "medic" or sorts. Maybe I can find a profession that allows me to fully utilize the team of Pokémon that I have currently, since I'd be taking them wherever I go? It's possible, and I think I should use that to narrow down any possibilities._

 _It would certainly cross out medical school. No way am I going to become a doctor. I could consider Pokémon breeding—we're going to meet a professional in the field soon, after all—but what how my Pokémon? Would they be alright with it? Would it be satisfying for them, too?_

 _I could challenge Pokémon gyms, like Niko and Charlotte have, but what would that do to Sydney? I could've just done that already! I know she misses me, and I really miss her, and so my profession shouldn't require me to be gone 90% of the time._

 _I could teach but, again, that does nothing for my Pokémon. I could teach Pokémon battling, actually, and do what Ilima does. But I have no qualifications for that, other than my travelling experience which, admittedly, doesn't add much. Niko and Charlotte are the best qualified for something like that. Not me._

 _I guess that brings up another thing—my personal confidence. I need to build up my confidence, mainly with myself, since I'm pretty confident in my Pokémon and my friends. I trust all of them, but less so myself. I think that, before I try to figure out where I'm going, I need to work on that_.

He looked up, noticing Niko and Charlotte walking back as he finished his entry. "Hey guys! Mareep's still asleep. It looks like it's feeling better, though," he said, noticing that the Wool Pokémon's breathing was steadier.

"That's good," Charlotte said, kneeling down to pet it, and immediately feeling a static shock. "Ouch!"

"That's normal," Niko said as he sat next to her. "Fay's Mareep did the same thing. It's ability is static, which makes sense right?"

"Yeah, it does!" she said, nursing her fingers. It seemed like Charlotte wasn't the only one who felt it, since the mareep opened its eyes and looked up at them. "Oh, hello there. I'm Charlotte, and this is Niko, and Warren. We found you hurt in the forest. Are you feeling any better?"

Mareep looked at them curiously before nodding, slowly trying to get back onto its feet, which looked difficult, since it was laying on its side. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte placed both hands on the mareep and helped it up, despite the fact that she was basically touching electricity as she did so. When the mareep was upright, it looked at Charlotte with intense curiosity. Who would allow themselves to touch its wool?

" _Bzzzt,_ " Rotomdex interrupted, " _Rubbing mareep's fleece generates electricity. You'll want to pet it because it's cute, but if you use your bare hand, you'll get a painful shock_."

"I know that, Rotomdex," Charlotte said, almost dismissively. "I'm glad you're feeling better, mareep. Do you have a home to go back to?" Mareep looked around, almost worriedly, as if it had no idea where it was. Charlotte picked up on this and continued with a more personal question. "Would you like to come with us, then? Maybe we can find your home. The three of us and our Pokémon are going around the island to clear certain trials. They involve battling, if you're into that kind of thing, and other challenges. If we find your home, then we can return you to it, but I would certainly like to get to know you more."

Mareep looked at Charlotte, still with a mixture of concern and curiosity, before nodding. Charlotte then picked up a pokéball and pointed it at the mareep. It went in with ease, and within moments the mareep was caught.

"Great job, Charlotte," Niko said, bringing his arm around her and pulling her close to him. Charlotte smiled in response. She helped out a stray Pokémon, and potentially gained a new friend in the process. Hopefully, she could further cement this friendship in the future. That, however, is yet to be seen.


	13. JJ's past, present, and future

**Episode 13: JJ's past, present, and future**

"NIKO!" a familiar voice shouted from down the street as Niko, Charlotte, and Warren entered the front gate of Paniola Town. JJ, his curly blonde hair glistening in the midday sunlight, rushed down the street to greet his longtime friend. "You made it!"

"Yep! Glad we called before coming here," Niko said, referencing a call he had made to JJ when he and his friends had landed in Heahea City. "How're you doing?" he asked as he clasped JJ's hand.

"Really great! I take it this is your first time in Paniola Town?" Niko nodded. "Lemme show you around, then. There isn't much, just some shops and a small neighborhood to the northeast. My Breeding Center is to the north, towards the famous Paniola Ranch."

"Good to know," Niko said as they walked through the town, which looked akin to an old western boon town. It was certainly more personable than most of the towns and cities Niko had ever visited, as the people and Pokémon seemed to work more in sync than he had ever seen. In fact, he noticed a berry shop that looked entirely owned by Pokémon!

They had finally reached a small, single-story shack across from the Pokémon Center at the end of the main street. JJ entered through it, and it didn't take long for Niko to realize that it was his home.

"Welcome!" JJ said, turning around and holding his hands out wide. To their left was a small living room with a couple of couches and a television. To their right was a kitchen filled with dishes. And in front of them was JJ, standing in front of a door that, presumably, led to his room. To the back, and to the left, was another room where some familiar Pokémon were sitting around.

"This is your place?" Niko asked, looking around.

"Yup! It's not much, but it's something," JJ said. "Really…really something."

"This is great, JJ."

"You should see the Breeding Center, then," JJ said. "I'll take you guys there in a bit. I think Maizie is somewhere around here…"

Before JJ got a chance to go find his girlfriend, Niko walked off to the room with the Pokémon. Sitting in it were all of the ones he was so familiar with—Umbreon, Growlithe, Azumarill, Breloom, Beedrill, and Bayleef. Except…where was Togekiss? Niko could've sworn he remembered JJ owned one.

When he entered the room, though, he was stampeded by the Pokémon. Guess they didn't forget about him.

"Hey guys!" Niko said excitedly. "It's great to see you all again!" He then noticed that when Umbreon got up, he revealed an egg sitting beside him. Niko had so many questions for JJ. "JJ," Niko asked when his friend entered the room. "Where's Togekiss?"

"Oh, she's out with Maizie, actually. I forgot they needed to go open the Breeding Center early today. Normally we do it together, but I wanted to go and greet you all, so she went to do it on her own…except, well, with one of my Pokémon, too."

"And…the egg?" Niko asked.

"Oh, that. Umbreon's gonna be a father," JJ said excitedly. "Hard to believe, right? My first Pokémon ever…is now going to have his own child."

"That's incredible, JJ!" Niko said, petting Umbreon. "And congrats to you, too!" he heard Umbreon purr deeply. "A lots happened here, that's for sure."

"Oh, absolutely."

"Niko!" Charlotte screamed. Niko jumped onto his feet and ran over to his girlfriend, whom had been silent for much of their time in Paniola Town. "Wh-what is that?" she asked, referencing a small, green cuboid Pokémon resembling some sort of insect. Its eyes were covered in blue screens. Two short, yellow spikes extended from the front square: one on each side of its rectangular mouth. The mouth itself was gray and had two jaws that looked like they opened and closed sideways.

" _Bzzzt, that's a charjabug_ ," Rotomdex explained, much to JJ's surprise—it was clear he had little idea what the pokédex floating in front of him was. " _It's known as the Battery Pokémon, and is a bug and electric type. Its stout shell provides excellent defense from attacks, and it uses electricity on persistent opponent_."

"Yeah, Maizie caught one when we moved to Alola. It helps power the house, which makes our bills significantly cheaper," JJ explained, leaning down to rub his Charjabug. "I like having it around and, when I try to, I train it a bit. I feel like if it's stronger, then it'll produce more electricity, so we can power more things in the house. We'll need to soon, anyways."

"Really?" Niko asked. "What for?"

"I'll tell you later, but let's just say there's going to be changes in our lives coming up," he said with a smirk. "C'mon, lemme show you the Breeding Center."

JJ led them, alongside his Pokémon, out of the house and towards the ranch to the north of the town which didn't seem to take too long, as it was within viewing distance of his house. While they did so, JJ asked Niko and Charlotte what they were doing in Alola.

"There's no way you both came here for _just_ a vacation like you said, right?" JJ asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, it started out like that," Charlotte explained, "but we found ourselves caught up in the Island Challenge."

"I figured. I forgot to mention them when we were in Lumiose City, sorry about that. Fun fact—one of the Island Captains used to live here. His family still does, and they've helped Maizie and I immensely when it came to establishing our business and making contacts around the island, since they own the Paniola Ranch and know pretty much everyone around these parts. I'm not sure if you've met their son—Kiawe. He's the Trial Captain at Wela Volcano."

"We've only participated in the trials on Melemele Island so far," Niko explained. "But we're on our way to Brooklet Hill after this to compete in Lana's trial."

"Oh, that's not too far from here!" JJ said, pointing to the west. "Mind if I come and watch?" Niko nodded. "Great! I'm sure Maizie will love it, too. We've never seen a trial before—only met other Island Challengers."

"Speaking of which," Niko said, "Melinda's doing them too."

"Melinda? From Hoenn? Really?"

"Yeah," Niko then explained to JJ what his former rival had been up to. "And that's how we met up with her in Iki Town."

"Gotcha. That's crazy, Niko. First Ian and Wally, and now Melinda. It's like you're just meeting up with all of your former rivals again!"

"That's exactly what's happening."

"At least she's doing well. Melinda always seemed like she had her stuff together."

"She was definitely one of my more mature rivals," Niko said. "Oh, and Charlotte caught a Mareep, just like Fay!"

"Really?" JJ asked, turning to Charlotte. She nodded happily. "That's awesome! Speaking of which, I'd like to see what kinds of Pokémon you guys have caught. I've been here for a while now, but I still haven't seen every kind of Pokémon Alola has to offer. I haven't even seen all of the islands yet!"

"Which ones haven't you seen?"

"I've never been to Poni Island, and I went to Ula'ula one, but it was only to Malie City, and that was it. But that's a fascinating island on it's own. It's one of the largest ones, I think. Maybe bigger than Akala."

Niko was surprised to hear this, as he was fully aware of how large Akala Island was. Hearing that Ula'ula was potentially larger excited him, but also made him realize how much further they still had to go in their adventure.

They finally made it to the Breeding Center. It was a small building, roughly the same size as JJ's house, and had a sign outside that read " **JJ and Maizie's Nursery**."

Walking inside, he immediately noticed a familiar black-haired woman and JJ's Togekiss approach them. Maizie went in to hug Niko while Togekiss shook his hand in a genuine manner.

"Hey Maizie, Togekiss. Long time no see," Niko said. "I'm not sure if you've met my friends. This is my girlfriend, Charlotte, and my former roommate, Warren."

"Hi Charlotte, Warren," Maizie said delightfully. Niko always appreciated her rather sunny disposition. It matched well with JJ's optimism. "And welcome to our business! It's been slow today. JJ, we need to make a call to that trainer from Konikoni City today. He was wondering how his Dartrix was doing."

"Gotcha. I'll get to that right now," JJ said, walking behind the front desk and picking up a phone resting against a wall. This gave Niko some time to look around at the Breeding Center. The was one corner dedicated to toys and colorful objects, presumably for younger children and Pokémon. It was characteristic of other daycare centers Niko had seen throughout his journey. The other corner had couches and magazines lain across a glass coffee table, with a television set up against the wall perpendicular to the door. Overall, it had a cozy atmosphere, and Niko found himself more impressed with JJ than he had ever been before.

"JJ, all of this…wow," Niko said. "I'm shocked."

"That the bumbling friend of yours finally staked his claim in the world?" JJ said with a wry smile. "Trust me, so am I," he said as he side-hugged Maizie. "I would've never thought that I could end up here, of all places."

"Neither could I, but not in a bad way," Niko smirked.

"Hey, Niko, how about a battle?" JJ asked. "It's been awhile, and I'd like to see what your Alolan Pokémon can do."

Niko nodded. "Of course."

* * *

Niko and JJ stood opposite one another in the fields of the Paniola Ranch. Off in the distance, the Pokémon JJ and Maizie were caring for watched eagerly. Charlotte, Warren, and Maizie all stood to the side.

"Three on three battle?" JJ asked. Niko nodded. It made sense—Niko had three Pokémon on hand, and JJ had more to match that. "Alright, then. Let's go, Breloom!" JJ shouted, turning to the Mushroom Pokémon, who leapt forward.

"In that case—Pikipek, you're up!" Niko said, throwing out his own pokéball containing the Woodpecker Pokémon. "Use echoed voice!"

"Breloom, mach punch!" JJ commanded. Breloom charged forward, ignoring the annoyingly loud sound before slamming his fist into Pikipek's small chest, rocketing it backwards. "Now, follow up with giga drain!"

"Pikipek, use echoed voice!" Niko shouted. The Woodpecker Pokémon continued on, screaming as loud as he could. Breloom seemed only marginally annoyed by this, and leapt into the air to grab Pikipek and drain its health while the two descended to the ground. Breloom then slammed Pikipek into the earth before using another mach punch.

"Looks like Pikipek is unable to battle," Warren, acting as a referee, declared.

"Return, Pikipek," Niko said. He had battled that Breloom a few times, but never remember it being _this_ strong. JJ should've done the Island Challenger. "Cutiefly, you're up!"

"Breloom, let's keep going! Use sky uppercut!"

"Fairy wind!" Niko shouted. Cutiefly flapped his wings vigorously, and seemed to successfully repel the Mushroom Pokémon. Then, as Niko commanded him to continue, Cutiefly's gusts turned from sparkling pink to a silvery hue. "What the…?" he wondered.

"I think that's silver wind, buddy," JJ yelled out. "Cutiefly just learned a new move!"

"Excellent! Well done!" Niko shouted, noticing Cutiefly happily buzz around in the air. "Then let's keep going!"

"Breloom, sky uppercut!" JJ commanded. "And follow it up with giga drain!"

"Cutiefly, dodge and use fairy wind!" Niko shouted. The Bee Fly Pokémon used his small size to briefly disappear from Breloom's line of sight and fire off a powerful gust of sparkling wind that knocked the Mushroom Pokémon to the ground. Breloom slowly got back up before collapsing a second time.

"Breloom looks like it's also unable to battle," Warren declared.

"Return, Breloom," JJ said, switching pokéballs. "Togekiss, you're up!"

"Cutiefly, this Pokémon is pretty fast, so be careful," Niko urged cautiously. Cutiefly nodded. "Use stun spore!"

"Togekiss, extremespeed," JJ said calmly. The Jubilee Pokémon disappeared before re-appearing and crashing into Cutiefly, rocketing him into the ground. "Now, aura sphere!"

Togekiss conjured a swirling blue sphere of pure energy and fired it downwards onto Cutiefly. Normally, this attack wouldn't do much to a fairy type, but it seemed to quickly overwhelm the Bee Fly Pokémon, who struggled to get back up amidst calls from Charlotte and her three Pokémon for it to do so.

"C'mon, buddy," Niko said. "You can do this. We have to keep preparing for the next trial. I want you to do well in it! C'mon, Cutiefly!"

The Bee Fly Pokémon slowly got back into the air and, in retaliation, used a powerful fairy wind that seemed to knock Togekiss out of the air briefly. However, on JJ's command she fired off an air slash that successfully hit Cutiefly, throwing him into the grass below and entirely out of the battle.

"Cutiefly is unable to battle, Togekiss is the winner!" Warren declared.

"Return, buddy. You did well. I'm proud of you. Litten, I choose you!"

"Togekiss, return. Umbreon, I choose you!" JJ shouted, summoning his first Pokémon—his eevee-turned-umbreon. "Use shadow ball!"

"Litten, ember!" Niko shouted. When the two attacks collided, Litten moved to the side and charged towards the moonlight Pokémon. Just then, it disappeared into the ground, forcing Litten to a stop. "Be careful, buddy. That's dig. Umbreon's going to pop out either under you or nearby."

"You've learned. Takes me back to our very first battle—my Eevee and your Bulbasaur. Umbreon…now!" JJ shouted. The Moonlight Pokémon burst out from under Litten, who instinctively kicked the top of Umbreon's head with double kick, knocking both of them to the ground. "Now, use faint attack!"

"Litten, double kick!" Niko shouted. Once Umbreon reappeared, He struck Litten in the side, only to be hit by the Fire Cat's foot that slammed into his side and subsequently his neck. "And ember!"

"MREOW!" Litten shouted, firing off small fireballs from his mouth, all of which managed to hit Umbreon. Umbreon stood completely still, which was odd—why would it?"

"Umbreon, moonlight!" JJ commanded. Despite it being the middle of the day, Umbreon began to glow in a mock moon he conjured above him. Now healed up, JJ commanded his Pokémon to use shadow ball. Litten dodged easily and, in retaliation, Niko's z-ring began to glow.

"JJ," Niko began, "now we'll show you what we've really learned. Ready, Litten?"

"Mreow!" Litten shouted back. The two of them took synchronized poses before Niko threw a final punch forward, activating the z-move.

"Litten, use All-Out Pummeling!" he roared out. Litten jumped onto his front legs and kicked with his back, firing off orange energy blasts in the shape of hands, all at Umbreon, who was clearly caught off guard and couldn't evade the move. Once Litten finished, he collapsed from exhaustion, as did Umbreon from taking too much damage from the z-move.

"Litten…and Umbreon are both unable to battle," Warren said. "The winner is JJ!"

"That…that might be the first time I've defeated you," JJ said. "I defeated a Conference Champion!"

"Well done, honey," Maizie said softly. "And good job, Niko!"

"You got lucky," Niko said with a wink, "if I had some of my others with me…"

"It'd have been different. Let me have this one, Niko," JJ said as they clasped hands. "I had fun, though."

"Likewise."

"Oh, by the way, Niko," JJ said, turning to Maizie and nodding. She ran off, much to everyone's confusion. "I've got something for you. It's just a little something, I guess as a way to say thanks for everything you've done for me."

"What do you mean?" Niko asked.

"Well, remember when I lost to Brock, and you and Fay said you wouldn't stop being my friend because I didn't challenge gyms? That meant a lot. You're one of my best friends, Niko, and without you I wouldn't have travelled to Johto and met Maizie, or chosen to become a breeder and move to Alola. _That_ was you."

Maizie then showed back up a minute later with an egg. She handed it to Niko.

"What the—"

"It's an egg that my Umbreon fathered. The one you saw earlier today. It's yours."

"JJ, I don't know—"

"Just don't say anything, buddy. I know you'll take good care of it."

Niko blinked for a moment as he looked at the cream brown egg in his arms. This was to signify his friendship with JJ? After all of these years? Did Niko really have that much of an effect on JJ, that he would entrust Niko with his Pokémon's child?

It meant a lot, to be sure.

"I—we," JJ began, bringing Maizie under his arm, "also have another announcement to make."

"What's that?" Niko, Charlotte, and Warren all asked.

"We're, uh, going to be parents."

* * *

 **Author's Note: If you've ever wondered why the title of this series is called "Through the Years," then JJ's story is a pretty good example of why.**


	14. A rainy day

**Episode 14: A rainy day**

Niko's jaw dropped to the floor. He felt like he couldn't speak, but had to. This was incredible! JJ, of all people, was going to be a father. JJ, the same bumbling teenager he had travelled the world with, had not only found his calling in life, but also created life itself. He had, without a doubt in Niko's mind, finally grown up.

"Congrats!" Warren finally said.

"Congrats," Charlotte added, "when are you…?"

"In about seven or so months," Maizie said. "We found out when we got back from Kalos."

"Eheh…yeah," JJ said.

Niko simply walked up and hugged JJ, his new Pokémon egg sitting in Charlotte's arms. "I'm so proud of you."

"Th-thanks, Niko," JJ replied, unusually surprised. "I…really appreciate that."

"You're gonna be an excellent father."

"I sure hope so."

"I know so," Niko said, his hands resting on JJ's shoulders.

"We should eat now, JJ," Maizie said. Her boyfriend nodded, and the five of them went back into the Nursery to have lunch.

* * *

Niko and Charlotte's next trial was at Brooklet Hill, which was only a few hours away from Paniola Ranch. As promised, JJ and Maizie went to watch their friend's second Island Trial in Alola. Niko tried finding Lana's contact information to give her a heads up that they were on their way, but for whatever reason he couldn't find it anywhere.

The trip to the trial site was mostly a walk down a widened dirt road going west. The closer they got to the coast, where Brooklet Hill was located, the more pronounced the hills around it became. Once they got there, they stopped and looked in awe at the environment around them.

Brooklet Hill was a collection of ponds and small lakes interconnected either by short, dripping waterfalls or narrow streams, each leading into a larger body of water that eventually made it to the ocean beyond them. All of that was to their left and center. To their right, however, was a small shack nestled between an earthly overhang.

Niko slowly approached the shack just as it opened up to reveal Lana, the Trial Captain, exiting it. She tilted her head curiously at Niko.

"Ah, hi Niko," she said in her characteristically calm tone. "How're you today?"

"I'm fine. Charlotte and I are here for the trial, actually."

"Oh! Alright, then," Lana said, looking out onto the nearest lake to them. "Do you like fishing?"

"Huh?"

"This trial will involve fishing," Lana said, reaching for a medium-sized fishing pole on the inside of the shack. She threw one to Niko and another to Charlotte. "Now…who's first?"

"I'll go," Charlotte said, as Niko had gone first during their Grand Trial. Lana smiled, and led her over to the nearest lake.

"This trial involves you drawing out the Totem Pokémon," Lana explained. "You'll ride on my Lapras," she whistled, summoning the Transport Pokémon, "and help guide a Pokémon called wishiwashi through the lakes until you find the Totem Pokémon. They like to eat the wishiwashi."

"Wh-what…?" Charlotte asked, clearly terrified by this. In response, Lana simply stuck her tongue out.

"I'm kidding! You'll still need to drive the wishiwashi down into the Totem's Den. You might encounter some resistance from other local Pokémon and, if you do, you must fight them. I'll join you when you make it to the Totem Pokémon—I always enjoy watching trainers fight that monster," she looked aloof as Charlotte boarded the Lapras. "Any other questions?"

"What do I use this for?" Charlotte asked.

"You can use it to help you find the Totem, if the wishiwashi doesn't draw it out. Also—because fishing is fun!"

"Right, okay then," Charlotte said before directing Lapras around. "Rotomdex…what's a wishiwashi?" she asked the red pokédex, who was floating around her for the purposes of gathering information.

"Bzzzt…wishiwashi is known as the Small Fry Pokémon. It's a water type. Err…there's two forms, would you like both?" Charlotte nodded, "That little one is called the 'Solo Form'," Rotomdex said, referencing a tiny white fish swimming around them, "When it's in a jam, its shining eyes attract others of its kind. The light from its eyes is visible almost 25 miles away. Now, the 'School Form:' it's called the 'demon of the sea' by some, when wishiwashi are injured in battle and their numbers dwindle, they become a regular school."

"Great, this thing can form change to become a demon…I wonder if that's the Totem Pokémon," Charlotte said as they floated along the water.

"That's plausible. It'd make sense if the School Form appears, since it'll need as many wishiwashi as it can get," Rotomdex reasoned. "Oh! Look at that!"

Charlotte looked ahead, noticing a small, bubble-like object appearing out of the water as they were moving downstream into another, larger lake. Once they got close enough, it leapt out of the water at them. It was a small creature that seemed to resemble a spider. Its most prominent feature was the water bubble that covered its head, which was anchored to a thorax by means of three thin, green projections. It's face was large and gray with blue oval-shaped eyes. It had two small blue spikes on its forehead and a yellow mouth. Its body was primarily light green with three thin, green legs, and a gray abdomen with a small stinger on the bottom.

"Rowlet, use peck!" she shouted as Rotomdex screamed out from fright. The Grass Quill Pokémon's beak began to glow as he charged at the strange-looking Pokémon, pecking it and knocking it out of the air. "Now, use leafage!"

Rowlet fired off glowing green leaves at the Pokémon, shoving it into the water. It floated back up to the surface in defeat, and Charlotte took a deep breath of relief as she returned—and thanked—Rowlet.

"Rotomdex…what was that?" she asked the floating pokédex.

"Bzzzt…that's a dewpider, Charlotte. It's known as the Water Bubble Pokémon, and it's a water and bug type. It can only breathe oxygen that has dissolved in water, so it wears a water bubble on its head when it walks around on land."

"Interesting," she said as they passed by it, keeping an eye on the small, white wishiwashi swimming freely in the water. "So…how are we supposed to guide this? It seemed to be doing just fine on its own."

"I think it's a ruse to get you to draw out the Totem Pokémon," Rotomdex surmised. Charlotte nodded, looking down a nearby stream to the next lake. From the looks of it, it was far larger than the one before or the one she was currently sitting in.

"We're getting close. C'mon, wishiwashi," Charlotte said. That's when she realized that the wishiwashi didn't even realize she, in particular, was there. Which made sense—all it could see was the giant Lapras sitting in the water, treading with its large flippers. Noticing Charlotte, the tiny fish swam around frantically, clearly looking for an out. "Lapras, we have to lead it to that stream," she said, pointing to the larger lake to their left. The Transport Pokémon nodded before picking up its pace to catch up to the wishiwashi. It cornered it at the western edge of the lake, just overlooking the ocean, before wishiwashi took a sharp right and moved southwards, towards the stream.

Charlotte patted Lapras' neck lightly, and the water type continued onwards, hitting the stream and riding it down a gradual decline into the third—and largest—lake. Just as she and Lapras entered, it began to rain—and hard.

"Huh?" Charlotte said curiously. "That's…oddly coincidental," she wondered.

"Bzzzt…we're in the Totem's Den, I think," Rotomdex said.

Charlotte watched the wishiwashi swim around, still in a frenzy apparently. They moved closer to the center of the lake as the water around them began to ripple. At first, it was a slow movement, and began to quickly pick up, each ripple getting bigger, and the frequency of them increasing. Eventually, the entire lake was vibrating, and the rain got heavier. This made it difficult for Charlotte to see, with her wet hair falling in front of her face and her vision blurring because rainwater was dripping from her forehead over her eyes.

Then, as Charlotte was about to make another comment, a large creature came out of the water. It was a fairly large spider-like Pokémon with a bubble of water surrounding its head. It had six yellow-green legs, with each leg having an opaque bubble enveloping each joint. Its abdomen was dark blue with brown streaks on the top and bottom, with two additional horizontal streaks on the top. These streaks connect to the "collar" that flared out with the shape of the bubble that enclosed its head, which was also dark blue. Its eyes were a lighter tone of blue, with whitish-blue waves along the center of each eye. There were forked, brown "eyebrows" directly above the eyes, giving the Pokémon an angry or aggressive expression. On the top of its head, there were three round, short growths that were the same color as its eyes. Both the growths and its eyes were capable of glowing and flashing. Below its head, there was a mouth accompanied by hanging mandibles.

"Rotomdex…" Charlotte said, her entire body shaking from fear, "What…is that!?"

"Bzzzt…that looks like an araquanid," Rotomdex stated, "It's known as the Water Bubble Pokémon, is a water and bug type, and is the final form of dewpider. Araquanids have a habit of storing things they value in their water bubble. If their trainer doesn't watch out, they too will put them in their bubble. Actually…Charlotte, this is bigger than any ordinary araquanid. It's the Totem!"

"I got that, actually," Charlotte said. "Rowlet, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning the Grass Quill Pokémon. "Use leafage on it!"

The Grass Quill Pokémon cooed, firing off a vortex of green leaves at the water spider, clearly hitting it and leaving a mark, as the Totem Pokémon backed away slightly. However, it wasn't enough. Araquanid fired off a rainbow-colored beam of energy, an attack that Charlotte recognized as aurora beam.

"Rowlet, dodge it!" Charlotte commanded, and the green owl moved to the side, evading the attack. "Now, go in for peck!"

The Grass Quill Pokémon spun through the air as he descended towards the Totem, his beak elongating as he crashed into it. Araquanid stumbled backwards, but not before emitting a loud, gurgling cry into the Totem's Den. Out of nowhere came two dewpider, one on each side, and both lunging at Rowlet.

"Dodge them and use leafage!" Charlotte shouted. Rowlet rolled backwards through the air before vigorously flapping his wings and striking both dewpiders, forcing them to crash into one another and fall back into the lake. Araquanid fired off another aurora beam, which managed to hit Rowlet once more, causing him to fall into the water. He slowly rose to the surface, struggling to swim. "Use peck!" she commanded, only to realize how difficult it was for Rowlet to emerge from the water. "Alright, then, return," she mumbled, exchanging pokéballs. It knows aurora beam…so Noibat might not be useful here…what about mareep?

Charlotte then directed Lapras away from the center of the lake and towards land. It was difficult to move through the heavy rain, yet Charlotte realized how incredibly adept Lapras was at swimming in this weather. It made sense, she thought—this Lapras has been through so many trials, it's used to this.

Charlotte departed the Lapras and landed on the dirt-covered beach, nearly slipping in the mud underneath her feet. Re-gaining her composure, she watched the Totem Pokémon quickly skim across the water to reach her.

"Mareep, I choose you!" Charlotte shouted, summoning the Wool Pokémon, who instantly looked intimidated by the araquanid. "Use thunderwave!"

Mareep bleated loudly as he released a wave of electricity in nearly every direction, reaching far across the water and stunning everything in its vicinity. This mareep is oddly strong…Charlotte thought to herself.

"Use thundershock!" she commanded. Mareep bleated again, firing off electric sparks at the Totem Pokémon, who floated on the lake, in the heavy rain, temporarily stunned. It took the hit, wincing slightly, before Charlotte commanded mareep to use it again. And again. Eventually, the Totem Pokémon was able to move again, and shifted to the side to evade multiple thundershock attacks before using bubble. "cotton spore!" Charlotte commanded, recognizing now fast this Totem was. Certainly faster than Totem Raticate.

Mareep shook her wool, emitting small cotton balls that not only blocked the bubbles, but also stuck to the Totem's thin legs. It struggled to move along the surface of the water, just as Charlotte's z-ring began to glow.

"Mareep, just like we've practiced," Charlotte said, crossing her arms directly in front of her. "Let's go!" they attempted to synchronize their poses, transferring z-energy from the trainer to the Pokémon. "Use breakneck blitz!"

Mareep began to glow an orange color before charging off of the land, onto the water, and towards the Totem Pokémon. He then colliding with Araquanid powerfully, knocking it backwards into the water before he too fell underwater. Panicked, Charlotte quickly whipped out her pokéball, returned Mareep before immediately sending the Wool Pokémon out again. Mareep stood there in the mud, panting heavily.

The rain finally stopped, and the clouds made way for the afternoon sunlight. Just as Charlotte got down onto the muddy ground to pet Mareep, she noticed Lana standing there.

"Oh, hello," she said calmly. "You did quite well there."

"Thanks, Lana," Charlotte said, carefully petting her Wool Pokémon, who happily bleated to the Trial Captain and, moments later, Totem Araquanid, who made its way to the edge of the lake. It stared down at Charlotte and spit out a blue, four-sided crystal. It was a light blue color and had the mark of a raindrop in its center. "This is…?"

"Waterium-Z. It allows you to use the move Hydro Vortex. Here," Lana said, demonstrating the proper poses for the new z-crystal. Charlotte imitated her for a moment, trying to remember the moves. She currently didn't have a water type, so it might be awhile before she used this particular Z-move.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it," Charlotte said, looking down at Mareep. "Let's get back to the others."

* * *

"So…this isn't exactly what we expected," JJ said as he, Maizie, Niko, and Warren all stood at the edge of the lake. At one point they had noticed the clouds gather off in the distance in an unusual fashion, but they attributed it to, obviously, Charlotte's trial.

"Hey, JJ," Warren asked the curly blonde father-to-be. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure, Warren," JJ said, stepping away from Niko and Maizie. "What's up?"

Warren then detailed for JJ the reflections he had been having the past couple of weeks. Warren may not have come off as anxious about his seeming lack of purpose in life, but he certainly felt like it. The entire time, JJ stood and listened, soaking in his friend of a friend's concerns. After a couple minutes of thought, JJ simply smirked and looked directly at Warren.

"I had no idea, either," JJ said. "In fact, when I quit the gym challenge, my first instinct was to just go home, and let Niko and Fay travel. I wanted to continue with them, but I didn't think that they needed me to come along; I felt like I'd be a drag on them, or just dead weight. They told me the opposite—that they enjoyed having me around, and that this was about more than just a gym challenge. That's what initially got me through, but then I managed to find breeding after that—quicker than I thought, but I didn't fully realize it until later. The point is: you'll find something, and you shouldn't worry too much about it. Just focus on the adventure with Niko and Charlotte; live in the moment! You'll discover your calling that way."

"But I've already been doing that," Warren replied, "wouldn't I have found it by now?"

"These things don't just happen," JJ snapped, "like that. I just so happened to get a Pokémon egg containing my growlithe, and after taking care of it and then subsequently raising it did I realize how much I loved it. That took a while to do. Niko says you like to write?"

"Yeah, I've been doing that ever since I left with him and Charlotte. I just don't feel like it's enough. And I can't keep doing this to my girlfriend."

"Oh, I definitely get that," JJ said, tilting his head towards Maizie. "It drove her insane at times, but she won't admit it. I just think that you shouldn't worry to much about that, because it'll distract from the here and now. You know what I mean?"

"I do…I'll give it some thought. Thanks, JJ," Warren said, shaking the breeder's hand. JJ nodded happily.

"Anytime."

Just then, Charlotte and Lana returned from the Totem's Den, with an exhausted Mareep in tow. Niko, holding his egg, was the first to approach them, giving Charlotte a side-hug before talking with Lana.

"Yes, if you're ready, I think the Totem Pokémon will be, too," she said. "I'll go off and heal it up while you're getting there. But first, I need to explain the instructions."

She then gave Niko the same explanation that she gave to Charlotte. Niko then boarded the Lapras, giving his egg to Charlotte. Rotomdex decided to follow him, too, in hopes of discovering a different type of Totem, as it had done during the Verdant Cave Trial.

"Alright, Lapras, let's go," Niko said, looking out for a wishiwashi in the water. Fortunately, he found one, and began trying to guide it around the lake, edging it specifically towards the stream on the opposite end of the body of water. After a few minutes—although it seemed like more than that—they managed to get the small, white wishiwashi into the stream and make their way into the second lake.

Now, Niko kept his eyes peeled for anything suspicious in the water. After all, Lana did mention that wild Pokémon might come out and attack. Her warning came true when a hoard of wishiwashi leapt through the air towards Niko.

"Cutiefly, I choose you!" Niko shouted. "Use silver wind!"

The Bee Fly Pokémon whipped up a silvery gust of air that moved some of the wishiwashi out of the air and back into the water. While Cutiefly was battling the other white fish, Niko tried to keep an eye out for his wishiwashi. Eventually, it got lost in the bunch.

"Use stun spore on the others," Niko said, "I'm going to look for ours. Lapras, c'mon," Niko tapped Lapras' neck lightly, and the Transport Pokémon began to move to the right in search of the wishiwashi. "Now, if I were a stray fish, where would I go…" he said, looking around. Eventually, he noticed one falling away from the pack. "There you are. Cutiefly, c'mon!"

Cutiefly nodded, having temporarily paralyzed most of the school that attacked them with a powerful stun spore, and fluttered towards his trainer. Midway to Niko, Cutiefly stopped and marveled at the sun, now slowly setting onto the horizon. It was still mid-afternoon, but Cutiefly found himself entranced by the beauty of the ocean beyond him.

"Cutiefly…?" Niko asked, turning around to see the little fairy type staring into the distance. "C'mon, buddy, we've still got a trial to complete."

The Bee Fly Pokémon turned to Niko with a look of surprise, as if it had done something wrong, and hurriedly fluttered over to his trainer, following along with him and Lapras as they made their way towards the second stream, this one much wider than the previous stream. As they entered, Niko noticed small, arachnid-like creatures huddled along the rocks on each side of the stream. They wore bubbles on their heads; Niko found them to be an odd mixture of adorable and creepy.

"Rotomdex, what are those?" Niko asked, with the talking pokédex explaining to him what it had detailed to Charlotte earlier. "Gotcha. Cutiefly, be on the lookout in case the dewpider attack."

They didn't, fortunately, and Niko moved on, following—and guiding—the wishiwashi into the largest lake, which Lana had described to him as the Totem's Den.

"So, this is it…?" Niko asked, looking around with Cutiefly. "The Totem's Den…where is it?"

"Bzzzt…maybe in the lake?" Rotomdex, who had already seen the Totem Pokémon, suggested. Niko nodded, watching the wishiwashi carefully.

"So…I guess we wait, then?" Niko wondered. And so they did, for an inordinate amount of time. Niko chalked it up to the Totem healing up after Charlotte's victory over it.

Eventually, though, he noticed the water rippling. Quickly, the ripples decreased in distance apart while increasing in frequency. Niko immediately recognized this as the Totem Pokémon arising out of the water. He was soon found to be correct in this assumption, as the large, arachnid-like creature that appeared out of the water began to glow an orange color, just as Totem Gumshoos had.

Rotomdex then explained to Niko what exactly he was fighting, and the trainer instinctively stuck with Cutiefly.

"Use fairy wind!" Niko commanded, thrusting his hand out. Cutiefly charged forward, vigorously flapping his small wings to create an unusually powerful gust. It knocking Totem Araquanid around a bit before the it fought back with aurora beam, engulfing Cutiefly in the blast of rainbow-colored energy. "Now, follow up with stun spore!" Niko commanded.

Cutiefly shook his head briefly, trying to re-gain his composure before charging forward again, swiftly evading subsequent aurora beams before tackling Araquanid and releasing a cloud of yellow dust everywhere. Araquanid emitted a loud gurgling sound just as it ceased to move. Then, out of seemingly nowhere, two flying Pokémon that Niko recognized as masquerain descended to the lake.

"Oh, great…now I have to face three Pokémon?" Niko wondered. "Cutiefly, use stun spore on them, too!"

This didn't work out nearly as well. Cutiefly's attack went off, but the masquerain all used stun spore in response, negating the attack and creating a cloud of yellow dust in the middle of the lake. Niko then followed up with fairy wind, but each of the masquerain dodged the attack, albeit skillfully, and tackled Cutiefly, thrusting the Bee Fly into the water. Moments later, he floated up to the surface in defeat.

"Return," Niko said, sending back the Bee Fly Pokémon. "Litten, I choose you!" Niko shouted, throwing the pokéball high into the air. Litten burst out of the pokéball and frantically tried to land on Lapras' head. Succeeding, he composed himself and stared at Niko, as if his trainer had lost his mind. "You can do this. Use ember!"

Once again, the masquerain dodged the attack, only to follow up with stun spore. Litten, once more, retaliated with ember to burn the yellow dust. Niko then commanded Litten to use ember again, but only issued the attack when the Eyeball Pokémon were close enough. Litten managed to take one down before getting hit by a bug bite from the other, nearly falling off from the force of the attack.

"Hold on, buddy!" Niko shouted up at his partner. "You can do this! Be smart with your ember use!" he shouted. This could only last so long, Niko realized. Litten's power came more from physical attacks, not distance ones.

Eventually, though, Araquanid was released from the stun spore and fired off a series of bubbles. Litten, finding himself caught off guard, tried to keep himself steady, but ultimately fell off of Lapras' head and towards the water. Through the pouring rain, Niko leapt off of Lapras and into the water, returning Litten quickly before climbing back on the Transport Pokémon and returning to the battle.

He had one Pokémon left, as usual. "Pikipek, I choose you!" Niko shouted, summoning the Woodpecker Pokémon. "Use echoed voice!"

Pikipek unleashed a powerful, high-pitched sound from his mouth, causing the masquerain more discomfort than the Totem Pokémon, who simply kept within its bubble-head. Niko then commanded Pikipek to use peck on Totem Araquanid, who responded with aurora beam.

"Dodge it!" Niko shouted. Pikipek obeyed, swerving to the left through the rain and colliding with one of the Eyeball Pokémon—masquerain—on accident, successfully knocking it out before dodging a bug bite from the second. "Rock smash on the other one!" he commanded. Pikipek charged at the second masquerain, aware of the aurora beam aimed directly at him, and took out the second ally of the Totem Pokémon.

Niko's z-ring began to glow, illuminating the constant stream of rain drops around him. Pikipek also noticed this, swerving out of the way to dodge Araquanid.

"Pikipek!" Niko shouted. "Are you ready?" The Woodpecker nodded, and the two began a series of synchronized poses before Pikipek was engulfed in z-energy. He then charged forward as Niko shouted, "Breakneck Blitz!" as loud as he could. Pikipek charged at Araquanid, who responded by grabbing Pikipek when he collided and biting down onto the Woodpecker Pokémon inside its water bubble. Pikipek writhed and wiggled inside before furiously pecking at the Totem, clearly upsetting it and forcing it to spit Pikipek back out.

Niko then commanded Pikipek to use echoed voice up close. The Totem Pokémon felt particularly disturbed by this, gurgling loudly before collapsing into the water. Pikipek then dove downwards and used peck on Totem Araquanid's back, defeating it.

"Phew," Niko said as an exhausted Pikipek returned to him, resting on his shoulder. "Well done, buddy. Well done!"

Pikipek nodded happily before returning to his pokéball. Niko then guided Lapras back to the edge of the lake which, again, was muddy and, again, Lana stood there waiting.

"Well done, Niko," she said, "brute force does work sometimes. I noticed that's something that you and Charlotte have in common."

"I, err, suppose so," Niko said, scratching the back of his head. "Anyway, is that it?"

"Yes, of course," Lana said, beckoning Araquanid over. The exhausted Water Bubble Pokémon skimmed over to the lake's edge and, just like with Charlotte, spit out a light blue crystal. "That's Waterium-Z. It'll allow your water type Pokémon to use Hydro Vortex, provided that they know a water move. This is how the dance goes."

She then performed the same series of poses that she did for Charlotte before coming to a stop, with both arms to her left side and in a wave-like motion. Niko nodded, clearly understanding it, and hoping to not forget. He didn't currently own a water type, as far as his Alolan Pokémon were concerned. Warren would have better use for Waterium-Z than he would.

Niko and Lana returned to the others waiting at the entrance to Brooklet Hill. Upon seeing Niko holding the Waterium-Z, Charlotte ran up and hugged him. Both of them were one step closer to their next Grand Trial.

* * *

"Well, JJ," Niko said as they reached Paniola Ranch, just as the sun was setting, "it's been great."

"You sure you don't want to stay another night?" the curly blonde asked.

"We should get going. Lana is going to tell Mallow about our arrival," Niko said. He was referencing their next trial, which would be Mallow's in the Lush Jungle. According to the water type Trial Captain, the jungle was a couple day's away from Brooklet Hill, and would require them to move through the hilly and often uneven terrain of route 5.

"Gotcha," JJ clasped Niko's hand. "Take care of that egg for me, please?"

"With my life," Niko replied. "I'll miss ya, man."

"Same here."

"I mean, that's what I should've said when I left for Unova. But it still stands. And let me know when you're officially a father."

"I can't wait for you to meet him…or her," JJ said, looking to Maizie.

"Same."

"Bye Charlotte, Warren," JJ said, emphasizing the latter more so than the former, as if tacitly telling Warren, "best of luck."

Warren nodded back. He was leaving Paniola Town, and his newest friend, feeling a little lighter. He could only hope that that feeling would last. More importantly, he had hoped that Niko and Charlotte were beginning to feel the same way. They all had more room to grow, and that space would soon reveal itself as they continued their journey through Akala Island.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Apologies for the hiatus. I got busy with other things and, more specifically, had difficulty with writing, especially this episode. I hope y'all can understand. Expect more episodes per day so I can catch up.**


	15. New and old

**Episode 15: New and old**

Due to a lack of water types, neither Niko nor Charlotte could practice Hydro Vortex, a Z-move they could now technically use via their Waterium-Z. In lieu of this, both trainers tried working on new moves in preparation for their next trial at Lush Jungle. Charlotte figured that it would be a trial that focused on grass, bug, or poison-type, and as a result primarily trained with Noibat and Rowlet. Niko, on the other hand, worked with Litten and Pikipek. Their respective third Pokémon—Mareep and Cutiefly—did train, but neither were the focus of their trainer's attentions and, if they were being honest, didn't mind it.

Mareep wasn't much of a battler, Charlotte realized. The Wool Pokémon was exhausted for much of the evening following its win against Totem Araquanid, and didn't feel like training the following day when the trio began their journey to Lush Jungle. Despite this, though, the little sheep was a strong Pokémon. It just preferred to not battle nearly as much, rather enjoyed watching his teammates battle.

Cutiefly, as usual, fluttered around carelessly. He enjoyed battling, unlike Mareep, but didn't seem to mind the focus being taken off of him for the moment—like with his friend Mareep, he too was exhausted by his battle against Totem Araquanid.

"Rotomdex," Niko said the afternoon following their departure from Paniola Ranch, "what other moves can Litten and Pikipek learn?"

"Bzzzt…Litten is capable of learning fire fang, and Pikipek can learn a wide variety of moves. However, in my opinion you might find the move 'pluck' to be of some use."

"Pluck…?" Niko repeated. "What's that do?"

"Pluck is a move that allows the user to steal food from other Pokémon. For example, if your opponent is holding a berry of some sorts," Rotomdex explained. "On its own, however, it's a normal peck move."

"Gotcha," Niko turned to Litten and Pikipek. "Well, wanna start?"

They both nodded, each looking determined. He appreciated that about them. They both wanted to get stronger. Cutiefly, Niko realized, did too, but wasn't as attached to battling as the rest of his team. The Bee Fly was far more social compared to his teammates, who were generally more reserved.

"Alright Litten," Niko began, pointing to a bush nearby, "charge at that bush, and try keeping your firepower on the edge of your mouth, as if you were about to use ember but you're holding back. Make sense?"

Litten nodded, and charged forward. Niko then turned to Pikipek, unsure of how to teach pluck. He figured that, like most flying-type moves, all Pikipek needed to do was provide more energy to the attack. He relayed that just as he saw the bush nearby light on fire. Litten didn't exactly use fire fang—he used ember on accident.

"It's okay, buddy," Niko said as a disappointed Litten approached him. "Let's just keep practicing, and we'll get it soon enough. We're in no rush. Well done, Pikipek!" Niko shouted as he saw the Woodpecker Pokémon ram his beak into a tree trunk with enough force to drill a hole into it. "I think you're getting it!"

Meanwhile, Charlotte asked Rotomdex about Rowlet and Noibat. "Bzzzt…Rowlet can also learn a variety of moves…razor leaf, ominous wind, pluck…Noibat can, too, but I'd suggest wing attack."

"Easy enough. Pluck for Rowlet and wing attack for Noibat," Charlotte said, turning to her Pokémon. Mareep sat by her side and watched as his trainer tried to teach her Pokémon new moves. Mareep hadn't seen much of Charlotte's training since his capture, and found himself amazed at how graceful Noibat in particular was. The way the Sound Wave Pokémon moved through the air was incredible—Mareep clearly hadn't seen anything like it before.

Rowlet, on the other hand, was clumsier—using pluck wasn't as easy as Charlotte thought it'd be. Eventually, she and Niko teamed up to help their Pokémon practice pluck together, with Pikipek trying to help Rowlet out.

By the end of the day, Noibat had successfully learned wing attack, and Pikipek had learned pluck. Only Litten and Rowlet were having issues with their respective attacks, but showed progress.

While his friends were training, Warren largely spent much of the day either writing, training with his own Pokémon, or thinking. Litleo slept at his feet as the sun was setting; Leavanny was practicing a new sewing trick she had discovered; Tranquill was off flying with Pikipek, the latter showing off his new move; and Poliwhirl sat with Warren against a large rock, watching the sun set.

Warren found his thoughts to be even more confused and jumbled after talking with JJ. The Pokémon Breeder told him, essentially, to not worry as much about his future. He shouldn't overthink it, and focus mainly on the present. That didn't help when all Warren could think about was this anxious feeling he felt about the road ahead. Despite this, he chose not to tell anyone but Poliwhirl—the only Pokémon that he felt truly understood him.

Niko and Charlotte cooked up dinner as the sun was making way for the moon. The trio were parked on a ledge overlooking the ocean: similar to how it was on Melemele, but the cliffsides weren't nearly as elevated. Route 5 of Alola was composed of a rocky, uneven terrain, relative to the forests and grasslands they had seen so far on their journey on Akala Island. They decided to spend more time sitting down and training than walking, since it was a difficult path to take while on foot. They estimated, with Rotomdex's help, that the journey to Lush Jungle would take between two and three days—similar to what JJ had told them as they were leaving Paniola Ranch.

"Niko!" Charlotte shouted. "You have to put that berry in first!" she smirked. Niko had made considerable progress on his cooking skills, especially in Kalos, but he was still by all measures a novice. Her boyfriend turned light red and backed away, allowing her to continue the meal. "Silly…" she shook her head.

As Niko continued watching his girlfriend make their dinner, he noticed something moving out of the corner of his eye. It was an unfamiliar movement—Litten was asleep, Pikipek was off somewhere with Tranquill, and Cutiefly was doing who knows what. Turning to his right he noticed, sitting next to Warren, was his cream-brown Pokémon egg.

It was moving.

"Guys…" Niko said, alerting Charlotte and Warren. The latter looked down and noticed the egg wiggle around a bit before it started to glow a bright white color, illuminating the area around them.

Niko got down on a knee to watch the birth of his new Pokémon—the child of one of JJ's Pokémon. Whatever it became, Niko knew that it would have a very bright future. JJ entrusted him with this—he'd do everything he could to keep it in the best of health. Out of the egg, nearly a minute later, came a very familiar Pokémon to Niko. He'd seen plenty of them before, and a couple of his friends owned one.

It was an eevee.

"Makes sense," Charlotte eventually said, "JJ's Umbreon was the father, right? The mother was probably one of eevee's other evolutions."

Niko nodded. "Hello there," he said kindly to the little eevee. It was smaller than JJ's eevee when he first got his, and Lauren's when she got hers. The little Evolution Pokémon blinked rapidly, trying to control its vision for what seemed like the very first time. It tried to take a step, but ended up falling over the blankets surrounding it. Niko caught it and steadied it on its feet. "There, there," he continued, now cross-legged. "we'll have to work on that. Hi, Eevee. My name's Niko. I'm your trainer."

Eevee looked up at Niko for the first time, its brown eyes glimmering in the sunset to its right.

"That's Charlotte over there," Niko said, pointing behind him and to his left. "And there's Warren," Niko pointed in front of him, helping Eevee turn around to view the brown-haired writer sitting against a rock. "We're all friends who're travelling. I hope that we can also be friends."

Eevee seemed both in awe and slightly overwhelmed by everything. Niko caught this, and picked Eevee up, holding it in his arms. He sat there for some time while the rest of the group ate. When they were finished, the Pokémon all crowded around Niko to see their newest companion.

"Everyone, this is Eevee. It came from the egg I got," Niko explained to his, Charlotte's, and Warren's Pokémon. "It's very young, so please be kind to it, alright?"

They nodded. Litten, Pikipek, and Cutiefly all got the closest, realizing this was their newest teammate. Cutiefly tried to get up close to Eevee, and ended up frightening it.

"Cutiefly," Niko said sternly, yet with a smile, "let's not get too close. It needs to become comfortable with you, first."

Litten tried to reach his paw up onto Niko's knee, and used the other front paw to reach out to Eevee, who at first looked confused. Niko bridged the gap by grabbing one of Eevee's front paws and touching it to Litten's.

"That's Litten," Niko said to Eevee. "He says hello."

Eevee and Litten stared at one another for a moment, eyes locked. It was as if they had some bizarre, tacit understanding. Niko caught on to this as well, and seemed puzzled by it.

Pikipek, for his part, seemed aloof to the matter. Niko and his friends noticed the Woodpecker was, by far, the most independent-minded one in their entire group, preferring little social interaction with others besides Tranquill, with whom he had an ongoing rivalry with.

That evening, Niko and Charlotte slept together, with Eevee sitting in between them. It was as if they had a newborn child on their hands. The thought made Niko initially uncomfortable, and created a slew of new thoughts to consider: is Charlotte the kind of person he could see raising a family with? Did he ever want to have children? He had never really considered it, besides the very brief moment with Lauren, but that was it. His feelings for Charlotte were without a doubt strong, but were they strong enough that he could envision himself marrying her? Being with her for the remainder of his life? Having children and raising a family with her?

It was too much for Niko to consider at the present moment, and so he tried to distract himself with thoughts of other things, like training Litten to learn fire fang.

* * *

The next morning, Niko asked Rotomdex for some moves that a newborn Eevee might know naturally. He also confirmed that his newest Pokémon was a female, which was rare for that species.

"Bzzzt…this Eevee might know tackle, growl, helping hand, covet, or tail whip. Also, since it was bred it might know some other moves…" Rotomdex said, clearly searching its database. "There are a variety of moves that it could know, too. I think the first four are ordinary enough for a newborn eevee, though."

"Thanks, Rotomdex," Niko said, Eevee sitting in his lap. "We won't be battling for some time, Eevee. But eventually I'd like to train you, so you can get stronger. For now, though, watch your teammates, alright?"

Eevee nodded. As Niko got up to begin his morning training with Litten, Pikipek, and Cutiefly, he placed Eevee back on the blankets they had slept on. Instinctively, the Evolution Pokémon began to sniffle, and eventually cry—and loudly at that.

"Aww…" Charlotte said in an affectionate tone, "she has separation anxiety."

"Oh, boy…" Niko said, putting on a happy face as he turned back to pick Eevee up. "Better?" she nodded. "Then I'll just hold you like this," he said, cradling her, "while the others train. Ready?" he asked of his Pokémon. He was just about to begin when he heard someone yelling out to them, off to the northeast in the direction of Lush Jungle. "What the-?"

"No," Charlotte said, her mood sinking further than she had anticipated. "Not…no…"

"CHARLOTTE!" a familiar-looking redheaded young boy shouted as he waved in the distance. "IS THAT YOU?"

"Can't be…how?" Warren said, remembering how this particular person had hurt his friend's feelings.

"Err, hi Aaron," Charlotte replied, weakly waving. "How're you…?"

Aaron, the red-headed boy that defeated Charlotte in the Lumiose Conference, approached them happily. At first he attempted to bring Charlotte in for a hug, to which the brunette shifted to the side, forcing him to briefly stumble. "I knew that would happen!" he said with the utmost confidence. "Anyway, what're you doing here?"

"I'm travelling with Niko and Warren. What are you doing here?"

"I have family in Alola. Went to visit them on Ula'ula for a summer vacation. That's where I learned about the Island Challenge, and I just had to do it! I want to get stronger!"

"Well, good for you," Charlotte replied, trying to feign positivity. "How far are you in it?"

"I've completed two Akala trials! On my way to Brooklet Hill. Are you doing them too!?"

"Err…yes. We just finished Brooklet Hill, Niko and I," she explained.

"Oh, hi Niko," Aaron said absentmindedly. "Well, that's good! I'm happy for you. Are these your Pokémon? I didn't know you had a noibat! And wow! Rowlet is a rare Pokémon! And is that a mareep? Those are cool, I guess."

"Yep, these are mine," Charlotte said exasperatedly. Niko and Warren could both tell she was annoyed to be talking with this kid again. Aaron, for his part, hardly seemed to notice.

"Cool! Say, uh, since you've already done Brooklet Hill, would you like to come down with me and show me how you did it? I'd like that a lot, and I've heard it's pretty tough."

"Oh, it's not so bad," Charlotte said, "Niko blew right through it," she said, winking to her boyfriend. "So did I."

"So you'll show me, then!?" Aaron asked.

"No, I didn't say that. We're headed to Lush Jungle now, and we're kinda in a hurry."

"Oh…okay," Aaron said, sounding a little dejected. "Would you like to battle, then? Two-on-two!"

"Sure, that's fine," Charlotte said, turning to Warren, who was on her left, and rolled her eyes. "I'll take you on."

"Yay!" Aaron said, sprinting off to make some distance between the two of them. Warren and Niko stood near their camp, watching the two rivals square off.

"Eevee," Niko said, "this is a Pokémon battle. Watch carefully how Charlotte uses her Pokémon and their moves to defeat Aaron's, alright?"

"Mareanie, I choose you!" Aaron shouted, summoning an odd, starfish-shaped Pokémon. It had a thin purple body with ten dropping teal-colored tentacles that resembled messed up hair. Each tentacle had three spines on it, except for the short one in front of its face. Niko asked Rotomdex what it was.

"Bzzzt…Mareanie is known as the Brutal Star Pokémon. It's a poison and water type. They eat Corsola branches, so Mareanie are hated by craftsmen who work with Corsola branches that naturally fall off."

"Oh…" Niko said, gulping.

"Noibat, you're up!" Charlotte commanded, summoning the Sound Wave Pokémon. "Use wing attack!"

"Mareanie, wait…" Aaron said, waiting for Noibat to get closer. "Use venoshock!"

The Brutal Star Pokémon spit out a purple liquid at Noibat, who managed to avoid getting it on her face, but the attack hit her wing, forcing her into the rock-hard ground. Aaron then followed up with bite. Mareanie's tentacles wrapped around Noibat and engulfed it in its body.

"Screech!" Charlotte commanded. The unnaturally loud sound forced Mareanie to let go of Noibat. "Now, use wing attack!"

"Wide guard!" Aaron commanded, and Mareanie closed off its body to Noibat, who collided powerfully with her opponent. "And poison sting!" The Brutal Star Pokémon re-opened its tentacles to reveal the inside of its body, firing off purple stingers at Noibat, forcing the bat Pokémon to the ground. "And venoshock again!"

"Gust! Blow it away!" Charlotte commanded, but it was too late—Noibat was once more hit by the poison attack, and skidded backwards towards her trainer in defeat.

"Noibat is unable to battle," Warren, acting as judge, declared. "Mareanie is the winner!"

"Return, Noibat," Charlotte said. "Rowlet, you're up!"

"Wait, why Rowlet…?" Niko wondered. "Mareanie is a poison type…"

"Maybe she didn't hear Rotomdex," Warren added, "either way, it knows poison moves."

"Rowlet, use leafage!" Charlotte commanded, thrusting her hand forward. The Grass Quill Pokémon flew high into the air, raining down glowing green leaves on his opponent, who used wide guard to defend. He's going to want us to get in closer…and that's the only way we can attack…Charlotte thought to herself. "Alright, use peck!"

What the hell? Niko shouted in his mind. "Charlotte, what're you—"

Rowlet dove at Mareanie, as he was told to. His beak began to glow a bright white color as he charged at the Brutal Star Pokémon. However, Aaron commanded Mareanie to use poison sting, which hit Rowlet directly. The small, green-feathered owl crashed into the ground.

"Now, bite!" Aaron commanded. Mareanie pounced forward—the first time it had moved in the entire battle—and engulfed Rowlet within its tentacles. "Venoshock!"

"ROWLET!" Charlotte cried out, a light tear appeared under one of her eyes. Suddenly, the Mareanie began to illuminate a bright white color, and a temporarily blind Brutal Star Pokémon backed away as Rowlet fell onto the ground, evolving as he slowly got back to his feet.

Rowlet's evolution still looked like an owl, to be sure. His plumage was primarily white with dark brown feathers covering his head, shoulders, and back. His heart-shaped facial disc was also white, and he had large eyes with dark irises was were, at least initially, closed. His beak was stubby and had a white upper jaw and orange-brown lower jaw, and two short tufts of feathers on the back of his head. Two green leaves curved around his face, resembling an asymmetric haircut; the leaf on the right was longer than the one on the left. Under his chin were two smaller leaves that resembled a bowtie, and there were two pointed ones on his rear that formed a tail. His talons were orange-brown with two toes facing forward and one facing backward.

"Bzzzt…that's a Dartrix!" Rotomdex announced, "It's a grass and flying type, and is known as the Blade Quill Pokémon. They are supremely sensitive to the presence of others, and can detect opponents standing behind it, flinging their sharp feathers to take them out."

"Dartrix…" Charlotte said calmly. "Let's finish this. Use leafage!"

Dartrix opened up his left wing, firing off green leaves as if they were throwing knives, cutting Mareanie on the side. He repeated this twice more with the other wing before charging forward on his own accord. Dartrix's beak was now glowing light blue, and it was elongated. He collided with Mareanie, striking the center of the Brutal Star Pokémon with his beak.

"Was that…?" Charlotte wondered. She turned to Niko, who nodded. Dartrix had learned pluck. "Well done!"

Dartrix cooed cheerfully as Warren declared Mareanie unable to battle. Aaron, a little frustrated by this, returned his Pokémon and sent out his second.

"Stufful, I choose you!" he shouted, summoning a small, oddly-shaped panda bear-like Pokémon. It's body and head were mostly pink, with its legs were brown. Each pad on its paws were also pink. A white semicircle marking was around its face, akin to a headband, and it had a white muzzle with a black nose. It had white-tipped ears situated on the sides of its head. Its tail was short, puffy, and colored pink.

"That is a Stufful," Rotomdex commented, "It's the Flailing Pokémon, and is a normal and fighting type. They hate to be hugged or touched in any way. If they are, then they squirm, thrash, and resist with amazing power."

"Also an odd Pokémon," Niko said, noticing a theme. "Go, Charlotte!"

"Dartrix, use leafage again!" she commanded. The Blade Quill Pokémon fired off more leaves like throwing knives, although Stufful took the hit, a transparent white aura surrounding it. "Oh…is that bide?"

"Yes, yes it is," Aaron said coolly. "Keep it up, Stufful."

"Then we just have to beat it before it can use bide, right?" Charlotte asked herself. Confirming it, she commanded Dartrix to use pluck first, and then follow up with leafage. The green owl nodded, charging forward to land his new attack on Stufful. Just as he did, his body began to glow a bright purple color, and he collapsed right in front of the Flailing Pokémon after the latter took the hit. He's poisoned…Charlotte deduced. "Dartrix, move!"

"Attack!" Aaron commanded, and before Dartrix could get out of the way, Stufful fired off a bright white beam of pent-up energy, rocketing the Blade Quill Pokémon backwards. Dartrix stumbled and rolled across the dirt ground before coming to a stop in front of Charlotte. He slowly, but surely, got back up. "Now, brutal swing!"

Stufful charged forward, dodging the leafage that Dartrix was hurling at it. It was an oddly agile Pokémon, Charlotte noticed. Once it got closer to Dartrix, it lunged forward and grabbed the Blade Quill Pokémon with its front paw and threw him around in a half circle, launching him in the direction of its trainer. Dartrix crashed to the ground in front of Aaron, now unable to move.

"Dartrix is unable to battle, Stufful is the winner!" Warren declared. "The victory goes to Aaron!"

"Dartrix!" Charlotte shouted, running over to her newly evolved Pokémon. "You did your best, buddy. For that, I'm really proud of you."

Dartrix looked up at Charlotte and nodded. He too felt proud, but also understood he could have done better. It reflected in his expression—a mixture of disappointment and relief.

"Charlotte, you did—"

"Better? I know I did," Charlotte said sternly, returning Dartrix and standing up. She was shorter than Aaron, but not by much.

"I'm not trying to be mean or anything—" he said.

"But you always come off like it. Back in Lumiose City you really hurt my feelings, you know," Charlotte said. "You can be as nice as you want and still act like a mean person."

Aaron was silent. "I guess you can't handle a loss very well."

"I can when it's not to you," Charlotte said. "C'mon Niko, Warren, we have to get going."

"Bye. It was nice seeing you again," Aaron said.

"Sure, same to you," Charlotte replied. Within minutes they had packed up and, with two new additions to their team, the trio continued on their journey towards Lush Jungle, and their third Island Trial.


	16. Welcome to the jungle

**Episode 16: Welcome to the jungle**

Niko looked up at the entrance to Lush Jungle. Like with Verdant Cavern and Brooklet Hill, there was a stone arch hanging overhead, acting as a gateway of sorts into the official trial site. The trio was alone, as they were waiting for the Trial Captain, Mallow, to arrive. Ahead of them was a dense collection of trees, which made Niko wonder how much light actually made it into the trial site.

He and Charlotte hadn't made much improvement on their training since seeing Aaron. Charlotte's Dartrix was showing an increased speed and agility, but that was largely it. Niko's Pikipek also improved on his pluck attack alongside the Blade Quill Pokémon.

"Eevee," Niko began, "this is a trial site. Our Pokémon will be competing to clear this trial. Like with the battles, just watch for now. One day, you'll compete in these, too."

Eevee nodded, looking on towards the jungle with a nervous expression. She calmed down a bit when Niko rubbed the top of her head.

"Hey!" the trio turned to see a tall, green-haired woman approaching them in a small vehicle. It was, unmistakably, Mallow.

"Hi Mallow," Niko said in a friendly tone. "We're here for our trial."

"I know, Lana told me. Sorry I'm late," she said excitedly, "I needed to take some time off from my other job to get here."

"What do you do?" Charlotte asked.

"I'm a chef at a restaurant on Royal Avenue which is, admittedly, pretty far from here. But I'm able to manage it!"

"You should try and find work closer to either job…" Warren said, "it's hard having to juggle that much work."

"Fortunately, it's possible. There aren't too many island challengers at this time of year. I had one a couple days ago, and one in a few days, but that's it."

"Oh, yeah we met your last challenger…" Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"Aaron? What an interesting boy…" Mallow said, scratching her chin. "Anyway! Let's get started! This trial will be fun. Do you three like to cook?"

"Yeah, but only some of us are good at it," Charlotte said, eying Niko with a teasing glare. "And it'll only be Niko and I participating."

"Gotcha. Well, you're welcome to join, too!" Mallow looked at Warren. "Part of the trial involves cooking, and all of you can have some after!"

"Some of what…?" Warren inquired.

"What we make!" Mallow motioned them to follow her into the jungle. "Wile Lana's trial is more off-hand, and Kiawe's is…well, Kiawe's, I try to make mine fun!"

"Niko, do you want to go first this time?" Charlotte asked. "Since I went first at Brooklet Hill. I can hold Eevee for you."

"Sure, that works," Niko replied. Suddenly they came to a stop, with Mallow spinning around on her feet.

"Nope! You'll be doing this one at the same time. Well, sort of," she said.

"How's that going to work?" Niko asked.

"Let me explain the trial, then, since we're now at the starting point," Mallow said as they made their way into a clearing. Light streamed down in small amounts—looking up, it was difficult to even find the sun, much less the top of the jungle. To their left and right were narrow pathways through a variety of dense foliage. Off in the distance, Niko saw some Pokémon he didn't quite recognize. "Like I said before, there will be cooking involved in this. Each of you are going to search for three ingredients that I need for my famous Akala Curry!"

"That's the trial…?" Niko asked.

"Yep! It'll be fun!" Mallow cheered. She then produced two small pieces of paper. "Whoever brings the ingredients back first will get to challenge the Totem Pokémon first. Sound good?"

"So, let's get this straight," Niko said for clarification, "we're going to get these three things from somewhere in the jungle, bring them back, cook something, and then challenge the Totem?"

"Sort of, yeah!"

"Got it," Niko said. "Hey Warren, can you watch Eevee for me?" Niko asked, giving his friend the infant Evolution Pokémon.

"Yeah, I can do that. There, there," Warren said, cradling Eevee, who seemed distraught, but calmed down after a bit. "Niko has to go clear his trial first. He'll be back soon."

Niko nodded, looking at Charlotte first. They locked eyes and smiled before going off in different directions, both in search of the ingredients to make this Akala Curry.

* * *

"So…" Niko looked down at his list. Pikipek, Cutiefly, and Litten were all following alongside him, looking down at the list as well. "We need a Mago Berry, some honey, and a Big Root. That shouldn't be too difficult, right?" He began thinking of ways his Pokémon could help—did any of them have a keen sense of smell? "Wait…Cutiefly! You can help search for the honey! You're a Bee Fly!"

Cutiefly, upon being given directions, lit up with excitement. He then fluttered off excitedly in search of the honey.

"Alright, so he's off doing that. Pikipek, do you want to help find the Mago Berry?"

The Woodpecker nodded, not nearly as excited as his teammate was, though. Niko nodded, and Pikipek flew off in the direction of some berry bushes. That left him and Litten to look for the Big Root.

"So, we just need a Big Root now…" Niko tried to remember what one of them looked like. He knew he had seen one somewhere before, and he certainly understood its purpose in a battle. But where could they find them in a jungle this dense? "Litten, you go that way," Niko pointed to their right, down a much narrower path, since Litten was smaller than he. "And I'll go this way. If you find it, come back here, alright?"

Litten nodded, and bounded off in search of a Big Root. He had no idea what this thing was supposed to look like, but he obviously knew what roots were. So Litten looked around the bases of trees in search of them. Finding none, he continued on. Slowly making his way through Lush Jungle, he eventually found a tree that looked out of place. It had a relatively thin, brown trunk, and had only two branches—one of each side that were roughly symmetrical. Litten looked up at it and saw two beady black eyes staring down at him.

"Mreow…" Litten purred low and loud as a warning. The tree-like Pokémon shook briefly, revealing something stuck around its foot. Litten noticed this, particularly how different it looked to the other branches. Could this be the Big Root Niko was looking for? "Mreow?"

"Sudo!" the Pokémon shouted, thrusting its right branch down on Litten, who leapt backwards to dodge.

"MREOW!" Litten shouted, firing off embers at the Pokémon's face. It slapped them away casually before trying to take a step forward and falling flat on its face. This was Litten's chance! The Fire Cat Pokémon leapt over the Pokémon in a single bound and bit down on the Big Root, ripping it out from under the ground and untying the Pokémon stuck on it. Litten then ran off, looking back once at the tree-like Pokémon, who managed to get back up, this time smiling more than looking concerned. Litten nodded before running off to meet Niko.

Niko got back to their meet-up spot just as Litten did, proudly holding the Big Root in his mouth. "Well done, buddy!" Niko said with praise, kneeling down and petting Litten on the head, feeling the slight purring underneath. "Now, where are the other two…?"

Moments later, Pikipek came out from between a few trees, only he had company. Small, plant-like Pokémon came barreling out of the bushes behind Pikipek. Each one had large, dark pink eyes. They had tufts of light green hair surrounding their head, with a particularly large tuft overhanging their face. A green bulb sprouted on top of their heads.

"Litten, drop the root and use ember!" Niko commanded. Litten fired off a series of small fireballs to defend Pikipek, who stubbornly accepted this before dropping the Mago Berries into Niko's hand. The small plant Pokémon, frightened by the embers lighting the surrounding area on fire, fled the scene. "Well done, both of you. Now, we just need Cutiefly…"

Just then, the Bee Fly Pokémon came back, but without honey. It didn't take Niko long to realize that he, an unusually small Pokémon, couldn't exactly carry honey with him. Niko placed the Big Root and berries in his bag and followed Cutiefly to the location of the honey. After a few minutes they found it in a clearing nearby where, coincidentally, Charlotte and her Pokémon had also been looking for it.

* * *

"Mago Berries, honey, and a Big Root," Charlotte read aloud to her Pokémon. "Well, I think finding the berries would be a good starting point—since there are so many berry bushes around here. But which ones are Mago Berries?" she wondered, looking around at the wide variety of berry bushes littering the ground of Lush Jungle. "Any idea?"

Noibat, who loved berries of all sorts, flew around to each in search of their particular berry. She eventually found a bush carrying odd-shaped berries. They were curvy in shape and form, and a creamy pink color with a yellow tip on the end of the curve. Charlotte looked down at them, and then at Noibat, who simply nodded.

"Gotcha. These must be them, then," she began to pluck them just before noticing a pretty-looking red flower petal next to a yellow one. "Wow, this bush is pretty colorful! Look, guys," she said, motioning Dartrix and Mareep over. As they approached, the petals wiggled around. "What the-?"

Out of the bush appeared a small Pokémon surrounded by a ring of flower petals. The only part of its body—Charlotte deduced that this was the Pokémon—was light green with an orange face and light green eyes. All of the flowers looked attached to a thin blue line. It then somehow unhooked the blue line and attempted to smack Charlotte across the face, only to be met by Noibat's talon gripping it. The Pokémon retaliated by lunging forward and kissing Noibat on the cheek. The Sound Wave Pokémon collapsed onto the ground, its face slightly wrinkled on the spot she was kissed.

"Dartrix, use leafage! Mareep, use thundershock!" Charlotte commanded as she ducked the attacks to pick up Noibat. "It's okay, buddy. I've got you," what is that thing?

Her Pokémon managed to quickly subdue the flowery Pokémon, forcing it to retreat into the bushes again. Charlotte took a deep breath, picked up some Mago Berries and, Noibat still in her arms, continued on.

"So that leaves honey and a Big Root. I think the root will be easy to find, too. Just keep an eye out for a prickly green root sitting around somewhere," Charlotte said, looking around carefully. Dartrix flew low to the ground, and Mareep pranced around, both in search of their next item. "I wonder how these ingredients will make the curry taste good. I can see the Mago Berries and Honey being useful for a curry, but a Big Root…?" Charlotte said aloud. "Those things are, well, they don't look appetizing."

Eventually she felt something trip her right foot, forcing her to tumble forwards. Feeling her shirt being pulled on, she turned towards her shoulders to see Noibat and Dartrix each grabbing onto her. The two flying types pulled her back up, with Mareep grabbing the culprit sitting underneath his trainer's foot.

It was a Big Root. Charlotte looked down at it, now in the Wool Pokémon's mouth. Smiling, she took it from Mareep and placed it in her bag beside the Mago Berries.

"Now, the honey…" she said, looking around. "Noibat, can you go on ahead and look for it? Dartrix, stay close and keep an eye out for it as well. Same with you, Mareep," Charlotte directed. The Sound Wave Pokémon, now feeling better after what looked like the move "draining kiss," flew off, using her echolocation to—ideally—close in on the honey they were looking for. Charlotte knew that, when it came to this particular item, her boyfriend had the advantage—Cutiefly was a bee, after all.

But they eventually reached a clearing after nearly half an hour. The sticky honey was sitting there, dripping from a flower. Is this how honey is produced? Charlotte wondered. She had never known, exactly. Regardless, it seemed that there was only enough for a single, small jar-full of it. She reached into her bag and grabbed a small cup, opened it, and approached the honey. As she did, she noticed her Pokémon all stop and stare.

"Oh, hey," Charlotte said as Niko and his Pokémon appeared in the clearing. "How goes it?"

"It's…going," Niko said. "How far did you get?"

"This is my last item. You?"

"Same here," Niko said. There was a short awkward silence between the two before Niko continued. "Do you, uh, want it?"

"Of course I do. Do you?" Charlotte asked teasingly.

"Well, yes. What I mean is that there isn't enough—do you want to take it to Mallow?"

"My question is still valid," Charlotte replied, crossing her arms.

"Alright, then. How about this—we each take a bit, and then race back to Mallow. Whoever wins gets to battle the Totem first."

"Well, that'll obviously be you," Charlotte said, pointing to Niko's longer legs, "you're taller."

"That means nothing if I have no endurance," Niko added honestly. Charlotte shrugged, figuring that she couldn't exactly argue with that logic. Both of them grabbed a bit of the honey, dividing it up almost evenly, before turning in the direction they had originally come in. The couple figured going their separate ways would make it more interesting—neither knew exactly how long it took the other to reach the clearing, despite getting there at roughly the same time. "On three," Niko began. "Two…one!"

He dash off to the left; Charlotte to the right. Each trainer's Pokémon bounded with them—two in the air and one on ground. Niko leapt and bounded across the jungle floor, moving over large tree logs and other miscellaneous foliage in his way. Litten largely did the same, and the two Pokémon with wings gracefully moved through and around the trees. On Charlotte's end, she quickly found herself losing breath, stopping a few times to catch herself. Mareep had to do the same, which led Charlotte to believe that the Wool Pokémon had worse endurance than she did.

Eventually she made it back to the entrance to Lush Jungle, with Mallow and Warren waiting for them with a pot and several cooking tools scattered on the ground nearby. However, as soon as they came into view, Niko had arrived with a panting Litten next to him. Both collapsed onto the ground from exhaustion.

Charlotte immediately ran to Niko to help him up—he wasn't kidding when he mentioned how poor his endurance was.

"You exhausted yourself to beat me?" Charlotte wondered.

"Yeah…can't let you win," Niko said with a tired smirk. Charlotte lightly slapped his arm before helping him back up from the ground.

"Alright, well get back in the game!" Charlotte said joyfully. "You get to fight the Totem first!"

"Yeah!" Mallow cheered as well. "But first…" she pointed to the pot sitting near a thick tree trunk. "We'll cook."

"What?" the trio asked.

"We need to draw out the Totem Pokémon," Mallow explained. "It really only responds to food."

Niko nodded. "So, how do we make this?" he asked, holding his honey in one hand and the Big Root in the other. Mallow took both of them and dropped them in the pot, giving Niko back his cup. She then took the Mago Berries from him, as well as Charlotte's ingredients, and mixed them all together with some other items she had on hand.

"So, drop this in there," she said in reference to a Mago Berry, "stir, then drop this much of that," she dripped some honey in. "Let it marinate…that's good…" she continued talking to herself as she cooked. An eager Niko and Charlotte both watched her practice her art, and watched her practice it well. Eventually, she stopped, pulled the spoon, dripping with the sauce from the curry, out of the pot, and smirked. "It's ready. Are you?" she asked Niko in particular.

"Yes," Niko said confidently, holding a pokéball in his hand. "I'm ready."

Mallow nodded. "Then come on out, Totem!"

The ground under them began to quake. Leaves rustled along the floor of the jungle as, between two massive trees, a large, pink and white creature appeared. It was a plant-like Pokémon that resembled an insect of sorts. The top half of its body was light pink, while the bottom half was white. It had light red eyes, similar to the small creatures Niko had seen earlier, and two green antennae with a small green lump between them. There were four extensions on the top half of its head: two on the top with red tips that resembled ears, and one on each side with white tips that are similar to stylized hair.

It's body was pink with short extensions around the waist. Its thin, white arms ended in large, red scythes with white along the bottom rim and a single green claw on the tip. There are vertical, pink-and-red stripes down its legs, which ended in small, green feet. Four red, wing-like appendages sprouted from its back, each tipped with white.

"Bzzzt…that's a Lurantis," Rotomdex explained, "It's known as the Bloom Sickle Pokémon, and is a grass type. For self-protection, it pretends to be a bug Pokémon. Both of its arms bear keen-edged petals."

"Grass type, then," Niko said, looking down at his pokéball. "I'm trusting you here. Litten, let's go!" he shouted, summoning the Fire Cat Pokémon. "Use ember!"

"MREOW!" Litten shouted, firing off a series of small fireballs at Totem Lurantis, who slapped them away with its red scythe, which then began to glow a bright green color. Lurantis slammed it down in Litten's direction, the Fire Cat leaping backwards to dodge.

"Niko, that's called solar blade, by the way," Mallow said with a wink.

"Gotcha. Litten, use fire fang!" Niko commanded. He knew Litten would have difficulty with this particular move, but he didn't care—his Pokémon was capable of mastering it. Litten, looking slightly nervous, nodded before charging forward, dodging another solar blade and leaping into the air. Totem Lurantis then crossed its arms and slashed at Litten, rocketing him back onto the ground. "X-scissor…Litten, ember again!"

Litten attacked from a distance, but nothing seemed to be working. Lurantis, though weak to fire moves, hardly seemed affected by them.

"Litten, we need to master fire fang here," Niko said. "You're strong enough to. I know you are."

Litten nodded, feeling the small tuft of fur on his back flare up. Niko noticed it too—was this normal for Litten? The Fire Cat charged forward, dodging another solar blade by jumping over it and running up Lurantis' scythe. Just then, however, he felt leaves hit him from the side, knocking him off balance and onto the ground.

Another Pokémon had joined Lurantis. It was the same petal Pokémon that Charlotte had seen earlier.

"Bzzzt…that's a Comfey!" Rotomdex declared, "It's the Posy Picker Pokémon, and is a fairy type! It stretches sticky vines out from its head and picks flowers to adorn itself. When it doesn't have any flowers, it feels uneasy."

"Litten, use ember on Comfey!" Niko commanded. Suddenly, he felt overwhelmed, and rightly so—Lurantis was difficult enough as it was, he didn't need a fairy type to make things harder. Litten nevertheless fired back, hitting the Comfey as sunlight above seemed to become more prominent. "Sunny day, too?" Niko asked as solar blade struck Litten at the same time magical leaf did as well. "No! Litten!"

The Fire Cat Pokémon tumbled across the jungle floor, slowly trying to get back up, only to collapse a second time. Just as Lurantis and Comfey were about to use another round of moves, Eevee leapt out of Warren's arms unexpectedly and ran over to Litten, for whatever reason. She nuzzled the side of his face, a transparent aura surrounding them both.

"What the…?" Niko asked, turning to Mallow. Was he allowed to use two Pokémon at a time?

"I'll allow it," she shrugged. "You may as well, Charlotte, if the Totem summons an ally. Most captains don't, and technically we're told not to encourage it, but I don't get why."

Niko nodded, looking at Eevee. Litten seemed to be getting back up on his own just fine. Eevee wanted to continue to help, but Litten turned to her and shook his head—this was his battle to wage. "Well done, buddy," Niko muttered. "Litten, use fire fang on Lurantis!"

"MREOWWWWW!" Litten roared out. It was a deep, primal roar that Niko hadn't heard before. Then, Litten began to flare up—his entire body engulfed in flames. Within the center of the flames was a pure white outline of the Fire Cat growing bigger. He nearly doubled in size. His upper half was mostly black, and his lower half was red-orange. The black area had several red-orange stripes: one running up the center of his head and forming a short cowlick with one horizontal stripe through the center and a slightly V-shaped stripe at the bottom of his eyes. The lower half of his body had two black rings around each legs. His forelegs were more developed than his hind ones. His eyes were large and yellow with black sclerae. Two long tufts of fur on each of his cheeks with a shorter tuft under them. Lastly, hanging from his neck was a round, bell-like organ, which was yellow with an orange center.

"Bzzzt! Niko! Your Litten has evolved into a Torracat!" Rotomdex cheered excitedly. "It's also known as the Fire Cat Pokémon, and is a fire type, too! It can act spoiled if it grows close to its trainer. A powerful Pokémon, its sharp claws can leave its trainer's whole body covered in scratches."

"Wow…" Niko said. Torracat turned to him and Eevee and smirked. "Let's win this. Torracat, use fire fang!"

Torracat roared out as he charged down the battlefield, dodging a solar blade before leaping into the air and tackling Lurantis, grabbing onto the Bloom Sickle Pokémon with his foreclaws. Niko noticed his yellow ring-organ lighting up as his mouth became engulfed in fire. He bit down on Lurantis' shoulder, causing Comfey to try and knock him off with magical leaf. Nevertheless, Torracat hung from Lurantis, not letting go until Niko told him to.

"Let go and use double kick!" Niko commanded. Torracat obeyed, letting go and, with his hind legs, kicked Lurantis in the chest, knocking it onto the ground. "Ember to finish it off!" Now, with only Comfey left, Niko felt his Z-ring flaring up. He looked at Fightinium-Z. Torracat wanted to use it. Nodding, Niko began the poses necessary for All-Out Pummeling. Just as they were about to complete it, Comfey fired off magical leaves towards Eevee. Torracat noticed this and leapt to his left to block the attack, in the process also disrupting the Z-move.

Niko looked down at his Z-ring. It no longer responded to him.

"Torracat, use fire fang instead!" Niko shouted. He wanted to end this as soon as possible. Comfey made that more difficult to do. Torracat nodded, charging forward and leaping into the air to grab onto Comfey, successfully doing so and bringing the Posy Picker Pokémon to the ground, gnawing on it until it wasn't able to battle any further.

"Well done!" Mallow cheered as Lurantis got back up and looked at Niko carefully. The challenger ran over to Torracat, petting him gently, but meaningfully.

"You did great, both of you," Niko said when he looked at Eevee, "but next time, let me choose you, alright?"

Eevee nodded, looking slightly ashamed of herself. To reassure her, Torracat walked over and nuzzled the top of her head before licking it affectionately, which Eevee appreciated.

Just as Charlotte was about to go up, Lurantis approached Niko and handed him a small, green crystal with a black leave symbol in the center. It was the Z-crystal he had earned.

"That's Grassium-Z," Mallow explained, "it allows you to use the move Bloom Doom," which Niko and Charlotte found amusing. "It's a nasty move if used right, though. Here, this is how you use it," she said, imitating the series of poses they would need to perform in order to use Bloom Doom. "There! Now Charlotte, your turn!"

Lurantis looked down at Charlotte, seemingly ready to battle now. Charlotte nodded, taking a few steps backwards to give herself some space between her and Lurantis. Smirking, she summoned Dartrix.

"Use pluck!" she commanded. The Blade Quill Pokémon opened his wings and charged forward at Lurantis, his beak elongated and glowing a light blue color. Lurantis responded with x-scissor, slamming both of its red scythes onto Dartrix and forcing him into the ground. Lurantis then responded with solar blade, slowly bringing down a stream of solar energy onto Dartrix. "Leafage, and the pluck again!"

Dartrix cooed out loudly as he fired off sharp green leaves at Lurantis in an attempt to distract it before striking it with pluck. Lurantis took the hit before using x-scissor a second time, knocking Dartrix to the ground and following up with a powerful kick to the side, launching the green owl into a tree nearby. Dartrix immediately got back into the game, flying into Lurantis again with pluck and successfully striking the Totem, briefly knocking it off of its feet.

Just then, Lurantis waved one of its scythes in the air, calling out another Comfey. This gave Charlotte the opportunity she was waiting for.

"Noibat, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning the Sound Wave Pokémon to match Comfey. "Use screech! Dartrix, leafage on Comfey!"

While Noibat was breaking the Totem's eardrums, Dartrix and Comfey got into a battle of leaves, firing small vortexes of them at one another, resulting in a stalemate. Noibat then, on Charlotte's command, helped Dartrix's leafage by adding gust to it, shifting the direction of the leaves. They curved to the left and hit Comfey and Lurantis from the side, nearly knocking out the Posy Picker Pokémon.

"Dartrix, use pluck on Comfey! Noibat, supersonic on Lurantis!" Charlotte commanded. Both Pokémon shot forward towards their respective opponents. Dartrix managed to knock Comfey out, and Noibat temporarily confused the Totem, but nevertheless took a nasty hit from solar blade, knocking her to the ground. Lurantis then kicked Noibat, knocking it into Dartrix this time and causing both Pokémon to crumble on the ground.

"Dartrix, pluck! Noibat, wing attack!" Charlotte shouted, hoping that by ganging up on the Totem, she might be able to land at least one attack. This didn't go as planned, though—Lurantis spun around and slapped both of them with a solar blade, knocking them to the ground.

Charlotte then looked down at her Z-ring. It was glowing. "Noibat, use screech! Dartrix…" she held up her white Z-ring, with Normalium-Z sitting in its center. "Use Breakneck Blitz!" she shouted, causing the Blade Quill Pokémon to be engulfed in Z-energy. Dartrix then charged forward, quickly past Noibat and into Lurantis, who braced itself with x-scissor and beat him back with it. Dartrix then crashed into the ground in defeat.

"Return," Charlotte said, "and well done. Now Noibat, it's up to you! Use wing attack!"

Noibat chittered as she charged forward at Totem Lurantis, her wings glowing a bright white color. Lurantis tried to strike with solar blade, but missed out of confusion. Noibat nevertheless evaded and slashed at the Totem with the side of her wing, knocking Lurantis to the ground.

"Finish it off with gust!" Charlotte commanded, thrusting her hand forward authoritatively. Noibat obliged, whipping up a powerful gust of wind that collided with Lurantis, moving the Totem Pokémon backwards and into a tree trunk, where it sat there in defeat.

Mallow walked over to pet Lurantis. "You've had a long day. Would you like some Akala Curry?"

* * *

An hour later the trio, their Pokémon, Mallow, and the Totem all sat on the ground, bellies full. At first, Niko hated the taste of the Akala Curry, and could understand why it was specifically for Pokémon. However, after a few more bites it seemed to get better or, rather, more appetizing. Charlotte and Warren seemed to agree.

"Well then!" Mallow looked at the couple. "Only one more trial before Olivia! That's Kiawe's!"

"Where is that?" Charlotte wondered.

"Wela Volcano. I'd recommend taking the long way there, through route 8, then the Dividing Peak Tunnel, and then route 7. Should take you less than a week, I'd say."

"What's the trial like?" Warren wondered.

"It's…different. I'd say my trial is the fun one, but challengers seem to enjoy Kiawe's as well," Mallow explained. "Anyway, I have to get going. It's been great watching you two battle! You're both gonna give Olivia a run for her money!"

"That's the hope," Niko said with a shy smirk. He returned his Pokémon, as did Warren and Charlotte, and helped Mallow pack up her car before watching it drive off into the sunset. Now, they were off to Wela Volcano, where there third and final Akala Island trial would take place. Niko and Charlotte, coming off of this one, both felt confident about what was ahead for them.


	17. Lab sheep

**Episode 17: Lab sheep**

"I always say I'll probably get used to looking out at the ocean," Niko said as he had Charlotte resting under his arm, "but I don't think I ever will."

"It is beautiful, that's for sure," Charlotte replied with a shy smile. "I'd like to live closer to the ocean one day."

"Well, Alola seems perfect for that," Niko hugged her tighter.

"It does. I mean I'm used to Castelia City's views, but I think this is, well, different."

The couple looked out as the sun was setting, only a few days removed from their trial in Lush Jungle. They heard from Mallow that the trip to their next trial, Wela Volcano, would take under a week to get to. By this time they—and Warren—were at the northernmost point of Akala Island. They had heard from a fellow traveler the day prior that route 8 was an ideal date spot for young couple and, figuring that they needed it, Niko and Charlotte took advantage of it.

Since leaving Melemele, where their relationship hit road blocks, the couple had started to spend more quality time with one another. This included helping their other Pokémon learn new moves, the occasional practice battle, and learning the other's side hobbies. Charlotte got better at cooking (despite being superior at it than Niko). Niko started learning how to draw, an activity that Charlotte hadn't worked on much since arriving in Alola. They talked and communicated more, and decided to have more moments like the one overlooking the ocean at sunset. It was moments like that that made their difficulties worth having.

"You think Cutiefly is ready to learn a Z-move?" Charlotte asked as the sun began to set. Niko simply nodded in response. Only one of his Pokémon knew a grass move, and therefore capable of performing the move "Bloom Doom." However, Niko also worried that the tiny Pokémon might not have the energy to effectively use it. Cutiefly didn't yet know of his trainer's hesitation, and he didn't need to, despite his rather carefree disposition.

All of this was in stark contrast to Charlotte's Dartrix, who mastered Bloom Doom on his first attempt. Whatever worries Charlotte may have had regarding the Blade Quill Pokémon subsided as long as he had access to such a powerful move. Of course, that would assume that she had any in the first place.

"He'll be fine," Niko finally said, "I realized that I was being pretty silly in having hesitation. It's just that I saw how exhausted Torracat and Pikipek were after their first attempts that I didn't want Cutiefly to go through that."

"Well it'll always be that way, Niko," Charlotte explained, "Its a total readjustment of a Pokémon's power levels, right?"

"Yeah, you're right. This upcoming trial...I have a feeling it'll be fire type. Think you can handle that?"

"I can," Charlotte said with confidence. "Noibat and Mareep will win this one. You?"

"Yeah, I think Pikipek and Torracat can handle it. Maybe Cutiefly too, since he's so fast."

"Niko..." Charlotte said, looking up at her boyfriend, "how do you feel about us?"

"Huh?" Niko asked, eyes blinking in confusion, "I think we're doing just fine. Why? Do you not? Is there something wrong?"

"No," Charlotte shook her head happily, "I just wanted to make sure. Our problems as a couple aren't very, well, complicated, but they do happen."

"No couple is perfect."

"Oh, not at all. But I just wanted some reassurance that we're good."

Niko leaned down and kissed her forehead. "We're good," which made Charlotte blush.

"I'm glad I'm with you, for more reasons than one."

"Oh?" Niko asked. He hadn't really considered the reasons why, not at least for a while now. Charlotte sort of blurted them out in Lumiose City, but everything happened so quickly that he may have forgotten.

"Well, you're smart, kind, passionate—now at least—and you're a mentor to me."

"I guess so. I'm not exactly the one you should be mimicking though," he said while scratching his head nervously.

"And that's exactly why I should," she said, leaning up and kissing Niko's hair-covered cheek, "you've been up and down and back up again. You're a role model to people who don't feel confident in themselves."

"I suppose so."

"I know so," Charlotte removed Niko's arm from around her shoulders and stood up, holding her hand out. "C'mon, Warren's probably getting worried about us. He's seemed sort of...I don't know, testy recently?"

"He's certainly had a lot on his mind, that's for sure," Niko added, completely unaware of what was going through his friend's head.

The couple turned around and walked across the grassy cliffsides of northern Akala Island to their camp, which was nearly half a mile away. They made it just as the moon was making its way into the sky, bathing the island in its silvery glow. There, their Pokémon and Warren were sitting down around a campfire that Torracat and Litleo had conjured. The two cats were sitting together with Eevee, all sleeping soundly. Pikipek and Tranquill just returned from a flight around the area, with Cutiefly aimlessly fluttering nearby. Noibat was sitting with Mareep, watching Leavanny sew some electrified cotton. Poliwhirl was sitting against Warren, watching him write as he usually did.

"Oh hey," Warren said as he looked up at his friends. Closing his booklet, he started to stand up, "how was the date?"

"More like some time away from everything," Niko replied, "but completely worth it. How has everyone else been?"

"Good...I think," Warren said. Generally, he felt comfortable in letting the Pokémon roam around. Rarely did he, or any of them, have an issue with their creatures. "They kinda just slept around, or flew around in their case," he said, referencing the birds.

"Great!" Charlotte said, sitting my Noibat and Mareep. "How're you two doing? Ready to continue training tomorrow?" Noibat nodded, happily chittering. Mareep, on the other hand, sort of shrugged. He didn't seem as up to it. "You alright, Mareep?" She asked. The Wool Pokémon nodded, albeit half-heartedly. "Is there anything I can do to help?" She continued. Mareep didn't answer.

This was odd for the little sheep. Charlotte knew he had a generally aversion to battling, for some reason, but the general apathy seemed to be more noticeable and severe after leaving Lush Jungle. There had to be some sort of purpose for this, Charlotte reasoned. She just didn't yet know what it was.

* * *

"Cutiefly!" Niko shouted out to the Bee Fly Pokémon. "You ready buddy? We're gonna try a Z-move!" he placed the Grassium-Z in his Z-ring and watched Cutiefly flutter around him. "Let's use it in that direction," he said, pointing forward. Cutiefly nodded, and turned around, facing the plains in front of him.

Niko then put his palms together, knees bent, and shimmied upwards until he was back at full height. Then, he separated his hands and moved them up and outwards, as if something was exploding from between them. The Z-energy then transferred towards Cutiefly, who began to glow a bright green color. Flowers suddenly surrounded them all over. The energy surrounding Cutiefly suddenly began to expand, creating a massive explosion that manifested itself as a beam of green energy that came down in front of them.

"Well done!" Niko shouted at Cutiefly, who happily fluttered back to him before collapsing in his palms. "Figured, you need practice before you can handle that much energy," he returned the Bee Fly. "You two ready to go?" he asked of Charlotte and Warren.

"Yup!" Warren cheered, slinging his bag around his shoulders. That day, Poliwhirl decided to stay out of his pokéball to walk alongside his trainer. "How far d'ya think we'll get today?"

"Maybe to route 7, if we're lucky," Niko said, looking off in the distance. He couldn't see the other end of Akala Island, which made sense when he thought about it.

Much of that day was walking. The group only stopped once the train before lunch, but largely spent their day crossing the top portion of the island. By sunset, they figured that they were close. And while they were in search of a place to stay for the night, Charlotte noticed something off in the distance. Squinting his eyes, Niko looked on at the same thing.

It was a building, but with a parking lot leading to a road, and a neon-light sign sitting in front that kept flickering.

"What's that…?" Niko asked. Normally they didn't see buildings. Roads, certainly, but not a lot of buildings out on their journeys. If they did see them, they were Pokémon Centers.

"Motel," Warren said, "guess they're more popular in Alola."

"So…it's a hotel? Sort of?" Niko inquired. He had heard the term before, but never stayed in one, much less seen one.

"Exactly. Similar to one. Maybe we could stay here for the night!" Warren suggested, motioning for his friends to follow him inside.

They did, quickly noticing the plainness of the inside of the lobby. There were a couple of couches with paintings of Pokémon hung up above. A water container sat in the corner as a means of providing guests with water. Otherwise, there wasn't much else worth noting in the room, besides the black-haired woman sitting at the reception desk. Fortunately, there was one, two-bed room left, and the trio took it. As they were leaving the lobby to find their room, they noticed an older man—middle-aged, most likely—walking in. His eyes slowly shifted to the trio's before returning back to the receptionist.

"Did you see that guy look at us like we were criminals or something?" Niko asked aloud as they dropped their bags on their beds.

"Yeah, it was sort of creepy," Charlotte replied, jumping onto the bed she and Niko were sharing. "I wonder what they was all about.

"No idea. Either way, I'm pretty tired," Warren said, laying down. "It's been a long day of travelling."

Niko and Charlotte nodded, sliding into their own beds, sending out their Pokémon for the purposes of sleeping with them as well, as Niko has always been wont to do. It didn't seem like long before his dreams, whatever they had been that evening, were interrupted by a rapping on the door. Groggily, Niko got up, accidentally waking up Torracat, before lumbering over to their front door and opening it.

"Huh?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. The moon was still low in the sky. "Wassup?"

"A-apologies for waking you up," the man said. He had silvery hair slicked back, revealing a widow's peak. He wore a white lab coat that went down to his knees, and a plaid-blue buttoned shirt and khaki pants. "I'm a doctor at the laboratory just down the road. My name is Dr. Eriksson. I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"W-what is it?" Niko asked, finally waking up.

"Ah, well you see, I've lost a Pokémon. A couple of weeks ago, and I've been looking for it all over. I was wondering if you've seen it. I've been asking travelers who've visited this place ever since my Pokémon disappeared, and no to avail yet."

By now, Charlotte and Warren had both gotten up as well. Charlotte joined Niko at the door while Warren sat up in his bed, still rubbing his eyes. Meanwhile, Dr. Eriksson explained once again his predicament when, suddenly, he quickly withdrew his hand from his lab coat and pointed it at Charlotte's Mareep, who had just woken up.

"That! That's my missing Pokémon!" he shouted. Mareep, who looked around before landing his eyes on Dr. Eriksson, quickly leapt onto his feet with an angry look in his eyes. Sparks began flying around his wool. "Mareep! Mareep, please come home with me! We miss you!"

"We?" Charlotte began, now also fully awake, "What you do mean by this? That's my Mareep."

"No, it's mine," Dr. Eriksson said calmly. "I raised it, fed it, took care of it. It's most certainly mine."

"But…I caught it!" Charlotte said, her tone slightly more serious. "You have no right to come barging into our motel room and take my Pokémon."

"Oh, but I can," Dr. Eriksson said with a smirk. "He's mine. I raised him in my lab."

"In your…lab?" Charlotte said, turning to Mareep, who suddenly backed down. "Wait…you were born in a lab?"

"That Mareep is cloned," Dr. Eriksson revealed. "One of the first successful cases of cloning in history…and it's this Mareep! Now, come back with me, we still need to run some tests on you."

"You'll do no such thing!" Charlotte said, standing in front of Mareep. "You'll have to get through me, first."

"Very well," Dr. Eriksson said, shoving Charlotte aside and walking towards Mareep, who was preparing to use thundershock. "Don't try to attack, you know I've prepared for this…" he said, quickly putting long, rubber gloves on.

"There has to be another way to settle this," Niko said.

"Like with what?" Dr. Eriksson asked, still focused on Mareep.

"Like…with a battle!" Niko suggested, much to Charlotte's surprise. "Yeah, you and Charlotte will battle for Mareep. If Charlotte wins, she gets to keep it. If you do, then you can take it back to your lab."

Dr. Eriksson paused in his pursuit of Mareep, stood straight up, turned to Niko and nodded. "Very well. A one-on-one battle. Outside. Be careful with these challenges, though. You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"Oh, I definitely do," Charlotte said with a look of determination.

Out in the parking lot, with Warren acting as the referee, Dr. Eriksson and Charlotte stood several dozen paces apart from one another, each holding a pokéball in their hands.

"Mareep, I choose you!" Charlotte commanded, summoning the Wool Pokémon. "If we're deciding on your fate, I'd rather have you battle."

"Very well. Clefable, I choose you!" Dr. Eriksson declared, summoning the Fairy Pokémon. "Use disarming voice!"

"Thunderwave!" Charlotte commanded, hoping to paralyze Clefable before it could do much else. Mareep, understanding the stakes for this battle, released electricity in a wave-like form in all directions, breaking through the powerful sound waves of disarming voice and hitting Clefable, but not before getting hit himself. "Use thundershock!"

"Clefable, sing!" Dr. Eriksson declared. A soothing sound broke through the air, nearly putting Niko and Warren to sleep, and certainly putting Mareep to sleep. The Wool Pokémon collapsed onto the ground, the electric sparks returning to his wool.

"Mareep, wake up!" Charlotte cried out.

* * *

 _"There, there," Dr. Eriksson's voice could be heard. Mareep opened his eyes to see the doctor's brown eyes staring back down at him behind a pair of thick glasses. "The operation is done. You can move again."_

 _Mareep slowly got back up and looked around. He felt different this time. Felt…unnatural, in some way. But he didn't quite know why, or how. He looked to his left and right—other creatures, many of them unrecognizable to him, all sitting in large, tall capsules. All of them looked asleep, but only some of them were breathing hard. Mareep didn't know why they were asleep if he was awake._

 _He looked back at the doctor. It's the only creature of its kind that he had ever known. Were there more like him? It seemed smart. Was it Mareep's parent?_

 _He stared around again at the environment he was in. It was a dimly lit, gray room. Must've been made of that hard material that Mareep couldn't break through with his abilities. He had once tried to leave this place—was this all the world had to offer? —but the doctor came back, and then he fell asleep again. That's the last thing he remembers._

 _"Now, we need to run some more tests on you, Mareep," the doctor said, returning to him. Mareep took a cautious step backwards—he wasn't about to let this creature do more to him. He didn't understand what or why he had to take more "tests," only that they sometimes hurt, and he was always asleep for them. "Hey, come on now, we need to do this for science!"_

 _Mareep bleated out, but he felt something tugging on his vocal cords. Could he even speak? Suddenly, he felt himself falling, and shortly thereafter crashing onto the floor. Re-orienting himself, he saw a pair of hands descend towards him. Releasing as much electricity as he could muster, Mareep heard the painful scream of the doctor. Now was his chance! He turned and ran for the nearest exit. After having to use more of his abilities, he found the exit. Then, he found himself running into a blinding light…_

* * *

"Clefable, metronome!" Dr. Eriksson declared. The Fairy Pokémon pummeled Mareep with yet another random attack—this time razor leaf. Mareep felt the sharp leaves slash and cut against his blue skin, forcing him across the concrete floor of their makeshift battlefield. "Now, disarming voice!"

"Mareep! Please wake up!" Charlotte shouted. "I know you don't like battling very much, but please listen to me! I'm not about to let him take you. I don't even know why he wants you! Just…if you want to stay with us, then you need to wake up!"

Mareep's eyes slowly opened, and he slowly got back onto his feet, albeit stumbling a few times prior. Staring down the way towards Clefable and Dr. Eriksson, Mareep began emitting small electric sparks from his wool, eventually firing them in a concentrated blast of energy at Clefable, who evaded the attack.

"Mareep, use cotton spore!" Charlotte demanded. The Wool Pokémon fired off small balls of his yellow wool at the Fairy Pokémon, suddenly slowing it down, at least enough to strike. "Now, use thundershock!"

Mareep bleated out loudly, emitting more electricity this time before he began to shine a bright white color. Mareep started to grow, shedding its fluffy wool back and quadrupedal body for a bipedal one with wool wrapped around his neck and head in a scarf-like figure. His skin was now bright pink, and the bulb on his tail was light blue. The wool, instead of it being a creamy yellow color, was now a pale pink.

"Bzzzt," Rotomdex finally said, "that's a Flaaffy! It's also known as the Wool Pokémon, and is also just an electric type! It stores electricity in its fluffy fleece. If it stores up too much, it will start to go bald in those patches."

"Good…to know," Charlotte said curiously. "Flaaffy, use…huh?"

Flaaffy's tail began to light up, with an electric sphere expanding around the bulb on his tail. He then leapt into the air, spun around, and fired it down at Clefable, knocking the Fairy Pokémon off of his feet.

"Electro ball!" Niko shouted to his girlfriend. "That was electro ball!"

"Right! Flaaffy, use electro ball!" Charlotte called out, and Flaaffy repeated the attack, throwing another sphere of pure electricity at his opponent, who blocked it with disarming voice. "Alright, then," Charlotte said, her Z-ring glowing. She crossed her arms. "Flaaffy! Let's prove to this guy how strong we really are!" The two synchronized the poses required to activate the Normalium-Z, bathing the Wool Pokémon in an orange aura. Charlotte then cried out "Breakneck Blitz!"

"Sing!" Dr. Eriksson shouted desperately, but it didn't seem to have any effect—Flaaffy supercharged towards the Fairy Pokémon before crashing into it, rocketing it far away from the parking lot and across the adjoining road. "Clefable! No!"

"Looks like Clefable is unable to battle, Flaaffy is the winner!"

"That's not fair! Not only did he evolve, I also can't use Z-moves!" Dr. Eriksson stammered.

"You never said they couldn't be," Charlotte said with a wink, kneeling down to hug Flaaffy, "I'm very proud of you, buddy. Cloned or not, I'm glad you're here."

Flaaffy nodded, bleating kindly before collapsing in Charlotte's arms. Minutes later, Dr. Eriksson returned to the trio with a defeated look that quickly recovered into an expression that was more cordial.

"Very well, then. You've defeated me in battle, but be careful. We don't exactly know what happens when a cloned Pokémon evolves, or is even trained at all. That is on you, if you so desire to own this Flaaffy."

"I do," Charlotte declared. "I really, really do."

"Very well. I wish you the best of luck, then," Dr. Eriksson said. "Apologies for waking you all up. Subject 11, I will see you later."

Flaaffy, still exhausted from the Z-move, simply nodded. He felt lighter, somehow. It could've been because of Breakneck Blitz, or possibly because a part of his life was ending, and another was beginning. Either way, he felt comfortable now.


	18. A day in the heat

**Episode 18: A day in the heat**

It was hot.

Very, very hot.

And Niko hated it.

Sitting down near the western coast of Akala Island, Niko rubbed beads of sweat from his forehead with his hand, watching them drop and spot the dirt below. Looking out towards the ocean, he felt the light breeze hit his face, soothing him.

"It's been awhile since I've been this hot," Niko said, thinking of when he and his friends visited Mt. Chimney in the Hoenn region. "But damn, do I hate sweating."

"We all do, Niko," Charlotte said, sitting down next to her boyfriend, but refusing to hug him, much less touch him. "Guess we're getting closer to Wela Volcano."

"Oh, that's great," Niko replied, "I hope Kiawe is there waiting for us. I'd rather not have to sit around in this heat."

"Same here," Charlotte said, "but we have to go through with it, right?"

"Maybe this is the trial," Niko quipped, "how long can we survive in this heat?"

"We'd both fail it, that's for sure," Charlotte said, laughing as she responded.

Since leaving the Motel, the trio had made their way south towards Wela Volcano Park, the site of their upcoming trial. In the day that passed, they had walked through the Dividing Peak Tunnel, as Mallow described to them, and made it to route 7, where Wela Volcano was only half a day's trek. However, due to the warmer-than-usual weather, Niko and his friends decided to take a break nearby, heading towards the beach.

Niko stood up and began walking towards the sandy terrain on the eastern coast of Akala Island. By the time he touched the sand after taking off his sandals, he immediately yelped out, quickly slipping them back on.

"THE SAND IS HOT TOO." Niko shouted, leaning down to caress his burnt feet.

"Yeah, that makes sense," Charlotte giggled. "Good job, Pokémon Master."

Niko gave her shifty look as he threw down a blanket, sent out his Pokémon, and sat down, nearly falling asleep. As he tried opening his eyes again, he noticed his Pokémon playing around in the heat. Shaking his head, he collapsed on the blanket and went into dreamland.

"Niko…Niko wake up," he heard Charlotte whisper to him. Niko slowly opened his eyes, noticing Charlotte's staring back at him. "Look over there," she said, pointing to a young girl off in the distance. "Isn't that…?"

"Kaila?" Niko answered, sitting up. The young, dark-skinned girl he and his friends had met early on in their journey was a quarter of a mile away, training a familiar puppy-like creature. "Yep, that's Kaila. And Ruffy!"

"Should we go say hello to her?" Charlotte asked. "She came off as, I don't know, a little odd last time."

"She's just shy, I think," Niko replied, standing up now. "Hey, Kaila!"

The girl turned to see Niko, and her face lit up. She eagerly waved back before looking at Ruffy, who immediately ran off to greet them. Kaila, for her part, walked, and slowly, as if she had a limp of sorts on her left side.

"Niko, Charlotte, Warren," she said in a high-pitched, kind voice, "hi!"

"How're you, Kaila?" Niko asked, holding his hand out. Kaila seemed initially hesitant, nodded and shook Niko with her right hand. "You're doing the trials, right? Is that why you're on Akala Island?"

"Yes. I, umm, want to go do Kiawe's trial, but…" Kaila shifted away, looking at the ocean.

"But what? Have you done the others yet?"

"Yeah, I completed Mallow's and Lana's. You should have seen Ruffy. He held his own against that Araquanid quite well. Didn't you, Ruffy?"

"Bark!" Ruffy said excitedly, looking around for Rowlet and Noibat, and only finding one. He was soon shocked to see Dartrix descend out of the air to greet him.

"Oh, your Rowlet evolved?" Kaila asked Charlotte, who nodded eagerly. "That's nice. I've never seen a Dartrix before. And, oh! Niko, your Litten…it evolved too!"

"Yep, this is Torracat," Niko said, referencing the sleeping Fire Cat Pokémon, who was fast asleep next to Eevee, "and I got that little one in an egg."

"Oh! I've never owned an egg before. I did go to visit the Paniola Ranch. I met this really nice couple who worked nearby, and got to see some Pokémon that aren't native to Alola!"

Niko smirked. "Did they mention their names, by any chance?"

"Yes. One of them—Maizie—is from Johto! I didn't even know that was a place. And the man, I think his name was…JJ? Yeah, he was from all over the world!"

"JJ's one of my best friends, actually," Niko said proudly. The expression on Kaila's face was, to say the least, priceless.

"WOW! That means you've seen a lot, too, haven't you!"

"Yep. I've known JJ since he was a kid. We grew up together in Pallet Town. Glad you got to meet him."

"Yeah. Didn't care much for his growlithe, though, but otherwise his Pokémon were very nice!" Kaila said excitedly. "Wow, I still can't believe you know him! That's so cool!"

"Heh, yeah. I can tell you more if you'd like," Niko replied. "But…back to my previous question—why are you hesitant to not do Kiawe's trial?"

"I, err," Kaila's expression suddenly soured, "it's hot, that's why!"

"Oh, really?" Niko asked, "same here! I hate the hot weather! That's why we're down here!"

"Same here. That, and I grew up near a beach. I love it," Kaila said, looking out at the ocean, "Ruffy hates water, generally speaking, but he loves being on the sand and playing in it. Oh! I caught some Pokémon, too! Want to see them?"

"Of course," Niko said, watching Kaila summon two more Pokémon. One of them was familiar to Niko at this point—a Charjabug. The other was small, red, and round, with green leaves adorning the top of its head. It looked like a massive berry. "Oh, what's that?"

"This is Bounsweet," Kaila said. Suddenly, Rotomdex leapt into action.

"Bzzzt, Bounsweet, the Fruit Pokémon. Grass type. Because of its sweet, delicious aroma, bird Pokémon are always after it, but it's not intelligent enough to not care," Rotomdex stated, just as Pikipek, Noibat, and Tranquill all dove towards it.

"Hey!" Niko, Charlotte, and Warren all shouted at their Pokémon, bringing them to a halt.

"Stop that," Niko said to Pikipek, "we're gonna have lunch soon anyways, alright?" The Woodpecker Pokémon nodded, flying away in shame.

"Anyway, those are great Pokémon, Kaila!" Charlotte said cheerfully, "I'm glad you're doing well. This is your first time being a trainer, right?"

"Yes," Kaila nodded, "And you're both the first trainers I've met that don't think I'm, well, weird," she added shyly.

"Why is that?" Niko wondered.

"Well…" Kaila said, seeming hesitant at first, "it's nothing, really. I think I'm gonna go prepare more. I'll, uh, talk to you guys later," she said, running off with her Pokémon in tow. When she ran, Niko noticed the limp more distinctly. Something was up with her.

The trio spent much of the rest of the day at the beach, with Niko and Charlotte training occasionally, usually having Warren's Poliwhirl cool down them and the Pokémon that wanted water sprayed on them. Much of that time Niko spent also wondering about Kaila. Something was wrong with her, Niko deduced, but he didn't quite know what it was yet. Charlotte noticed he was distracted as well, eventually bringing it up to him. Niko began speaking his mind.

"You notice her limp?" Niko asked his girlfriend, who nodded, "I think that's why she's considered weird…something's wrong with how she walks. But then there's the issue of this trial. She seemed way more terrified by it than we were."

"I think she just hates heat, Niko. So you do," Charlotte reasoned, "as for the leg, I agree—is there something wrong with it?"

"I don't know. And maybe you're right. I just think that there's more to it. How about we take her there with us—we can all do the trial together!" Niko exclaimed.

"I like that idea. Let's go ask her about it," Charlotte said, and the two stood up. "Warren, could you watch the Pokémon for a moment?"

"Sure," Warren said passively, "but I don't like this idea of speculating on her issues. If she has any, she'll tell you. It just seems…wrong to me."

Niko gave his friend a skeptical look. He wasn't making much sense, Niko thought. "Whatever you say," Niko turned and walked with Charlotte across the beach. There, Kaila was feeding her three Pokémon. Looking up, she greeted them with a normal smile. "Hey, Kaila, how're you feeling?"

"Fine…? Why wouldn't I?" she asked as Niko and Charlotte sat down next to her.

"No reason. Say, we're gonna head up to Wela Volcano in a bit. Would you like to join us?" Charlotte asked. Kaila initially seemed hesitant, almost worried, about having to journey up to the volcano, but eventually confirmed with a nod. "Great! Niko and I were thinking of going to challenge the trial together!"

"Oh…alright, that's, uh, fine with me…" Kaila said. Niko noticed Ruffy's expression of concern as well. "When are we going?"

"In an hour or so. We still have to eat," Charlotte said, hearing Niko's stomach gurgle. "See?" This drew a silent laugh from Kaila.

* * *

"It's gonna get hot," Niko said aloud as they approached the entrance to Wela Volcano Park. It was a rocky terrain with a seemingly charred forest coating it all around. An archway stood in the center of it, similar to the one in Verdant Cavern, Brooklet Hill, and Lush Jungle. Crossing through it, Niko felt a gush of heat hit his face. "Oof…" he said, shaking his head. "That was strong."

Charlotte held his hand, and they walked into the forest at the base of the mountain. Along the way, they noticed a pathway that led up the mountain to their left. To their right was a field covered in dirt and soot. Similar to the area surrounding Mt. Chimney in Hoenn.

Just then, Niko noticed something running around. It was small and pink-colored. Maybe a couple feet in height. As he approached it, he recognized it.

"Oh, hello there," Niko said to the Magby. "Do you live around here?" he asked. Magby shied away behind a tree.

"W-why do you seem so comfortable around it?" Kaila asked, stammering a little.

"Oh, I own a Magmortar—that's what Magby evolves into," Niko said kindly. "I never owned a Magby though. Sort of wish I did—they're adorable!"

"You th-think that is cute?"

"Yeah. It's strong, too. You should get one!" Niko said, motioning Kaila over. "Magby, this is my friend Kaila. Kaila, this is—huh?"

Kaila was hiding behind Warren, shivering a little. Again, something was wrong with her.

"Kaila, you alright?" Niko asked, approaching his friend and rival. She only backed away from him. "What did I do?"

"N-nothing, Niko. I just…I don't like fire types!" she admitted, scaring the Magby and causing it to run away.

"Oh?" Niko asked, getting onto one knee and looking up at Kaila. "And why is that?"

"They…they scare me," she said. "I don't like fire."

"Oh, I see. That's why you didn't want to come here, right? Or do Kiawe's trial?" Kaila nodded, albeit nervously. "I get that. Fire types can be scary. And trust me, they're hard to train sometimes, too!" he touched Kaila's shoulder, "but you're brave. I think you'd really like having that Magby around, Kaila."

"I…I don't think so," Kaila said, removing Niko's hand. "I—I can't do it."

"Yes, you can."

"No! No I can't!" she shouted, turning away. Warren and Charlotte both looked at Niko like he had messed up. He did—that much he was aware of. But he wanted to make things right with Kaila, who had run off towards the archway, Ruffy in tow. Niko got up, briefly looked at his friends, and followed her.

"Hey, Kaila," Niko said, standing beside her as they looked out onto route 7. "I'm sorry if I was pushing you. That's not fair to you, and I really do apologize."

"It's—it's fine. You didn't know, I get it," Kaila said, sniffling. "I have bad memories with fire, that's why."

"I know what you mean. Our fears really get the best of us. I know that really well," he said, looking down at Kaila. "You know, it was over two years into my Pokémon journey that I finally caught a fire type?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. All of my friends owned them—JJ included. And when I got my first one, it was near a volcano, too. It was Numel…I don't know if you've heard of those."

"I have."

"Oh, great. Well, he was my first. A stubborn Pokémon, I caught him because I had accidentally pissed him off and I needed to stop him from chasing me around," to this Kaila laughed.

"I can imagine you freaking out like that," she said with a giggle.

"I bet you can," Niko said, smiling, "and it was really hard to train him. Eventually, I yelled at him, told him that I couldn't train him if he didn't at least put some effort into it. And, as a result, he stayed with me, and became one of my strongest Pokémon. He hated training, though," he looked down at Kaila and put a hand on her shoulder. "The point is, I was scared too. I've been scared to try new things so many times before. But I'm a better person because of it. I'm a stronger person because of it.

"I don't expect you to go and catch that Magby, but I don't want you to be afraid. You'll never be a better trainer if you let fear guide you. Want to hear another story?" he said. Kaila nodded. By now they were sitting against the archway. Niko told her the story of when he quit being a Pokémon Trainer, and his move to the Unova region. "I met some incredible people—one of them is now my girlfriend! –and I wouldn't have done that if I didn't get back on my feet again," he then sent out Torracat, who looked at both of them before smiling at Kaila. "Torracat doesn't have a problem with you—he usually likes other people. Try petting him."

Kaila looked at the Fire Cat Pokémon, who slowly approached her and lowered his head a foot away. Cautiously, Kaila reached out and touched Torracat's head, feeling the red-orange and black fur underneath her palm.

"You're right, Niko," Kaila said with a nod. She then lifted up her baggy jeans, revealing an artificial leg below the knee. "I lost my leg when I was a little kid, and needed this replaced. It was really hard to walk after that, but I didn't give up. All of the kids at school teased me," a tear dripped down her face, "but I kept going."

"And you can do that with fire Pokémon," Niko said, "don't give up."

Kaila nodded, standing back up—with Niko's help—and walking back to Charlotte and Warren.

"She's gonna give it another shot," Niko declared. His friends cheered as Kaila looked down at Ruffy with a determined look.

"Let's go look for it, then!" Charlotte suggested, holding out her hand. Kaila took it, and the two walked off. Rotomdex floated behind them, hoping to get more pictures of Magby.

"You did good, Niko," Warren said, "I was hesitant at first. I didn't think getting her to talk about it was the right move, but you proved me wrong."

"I just explained to her that fear is such a difficult block to overcome," Niko said, "and told her the Numel story, as well as how I met you and Charlotte."

"Ah, classics," Warren said with a smirk.

* * *

"I think it went this way," Charlotte said as she and Kaila made their way through the charred forest. They had only been walking for a few minutes before Kaila opened up about what she had told Niko. Charlotte nodded politely before responding. "Niko can definitely attest to those fears. So can I. My fear was losing. I hate losing, and some of my worst moments as a trainer came from those. Right after coming to Alola I was worried that I would continue my losing streak, but it seemed to go away when Niko and I talked about it. He has that…aura, I guess."

"He's experienced," Kaila said.

"Exactly. He's been through more than I have. At least, when it comes to Pokémon training," Kaila passively agreed. "Oh! What's that?" she asked Rotomdex. They noticed a small, black salamander-like Pokémon slithering along the ground. Its body was dark gray with a black head and feet. Along its back and down its tail was an orange-red line. At the base of its neck were two short, flat spines. Its eyes were light purple with slit pupils and several tooth-like protrusions along its upper jaw. It had four pointed toes on each foot.

"Bzzzt…that a Salandit, Charlotte. It's the Toxic Lizard Pokémon, and it's a poison and fire type. It weakens opponents and sends them reeling with its poisonous gas. Salandit doesn't deal well with Spinda, since its always reeling. It's a pretty unique Pokémon—its ability, corrosion, allows it to hit steel type Pokémon. Also, only female Salandit are capable of evolving. This one in particular looks like its female."

"Let's catch it," Charlotte said, which made Kaila shiver. She had never owned a poison type before—now was her chance. Plus, the uniqueness of its ability and evolution made it a rare catch. "Kaila, you know how to catch Pokémon, right?" she nodded. "Well, watch this. Flaaffy, I choose you!"

"Oh! A flaaffy!" Kaila exclaimed. Ruffy barked happily at the Wool Pokémon.

"Cotton spore!" Charlotte commanded. Small pink wool balls floated towards the salandit, who leapt out of the way and hissed at the two trainers and their Pokémon. "Now, electro ball!"

An electric orb expanded from Flaaffy's tail and fired at the Toxic Lizard Pokémon, who blocked it with what looked like a purple ember attack. Rotomdex identified it as dragon rage. Charlotte then repeated, but asked Flaaffy to get in closer. The Wool Pokémon charged at Salandit, his tail alight with electro ball. It met salandit's ember, forcing both Pokémon to launch backwards.

"Now, go!" Charlotte shouted, throwing a fast ball at the salandit. It was the very fast ball she received in Kalos from the owner of the Pokéball Factory. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon immediately went in, the yellow and red pokéball landing on the ground. It wiggled around before ultimately clicking—indicating a successful capture. "That's how you do it," she said confidently.

"Wow…that Pokémon looked scary, too," Kaila said, "I'd hate to have to go up against it."

"Hopefully not anytime soon," Charlotte said, picking up the fast ball containing her new Salandit. "Anyway, let's keep looking for that Magby."

It didn't take long—they heard a scream off in the distance. Running to meet it—Kaila being slower—they found a Magby wrapped up in what looked like an ekans.

"Go—help it out," Charlotte said, urging Kaila onwards. She nodded, albeit nervously, with Ruffy by her side.

"R-Ruffy, use rock throw!" Kaila shouted. The Puppy Pokémon fired off a series of small rocks at the purple snake, causing it to let go of Magby and hiss at Ruffy. "Now, use thunder fang!" she shouted, more bravely this time. Ruffy charged at the ekans, who quickly slithered around and skillfully wrapped itself around Ruffy. The constricting attack was brief, though, since Ruffy quickly bit down on ekans' thin body with electrified teeth. It let go, hissing again before spraying what looked like acid everywhere. "Dodge and use bite!" Kaila commanded. Ruffy leapt to the side and away from the acid before charging at ekans and biting onto it. "Turn it into thunder fang and throw it!" Kaila shouted.

Ruffy obeyed, swinging ekans around before letting go and flinging it several feet away. He then, on Kaila's command, used rock throw to defeat the ekans.

Kaila then walked over to Magby and looked down at it. "Are you alright?" Magby nodded. "My name is Kaila. I think we got off on the wrong foot earlier. The thing is, I'm afraid of fire, and so I don't like fire types very much. But a couple friends of mine convinced me otherwise, and I'd like to grow stronger by catching you. Are you alright with that?"

Magby looked around at Ruffy and Charlotte before finally settling on Kaila. It nodded.

"We're gonna get stronger, that's for sure!" Kaila said, pumping a fist. "And we won't be scared again!"

Magby did the same happily. For some reason, this wild Pokémon seemed to enjoy Kaila's company already. It had a reason to feel safe. Kaila then withdrew a pokéball and placed it on the ground in front of Magby, who took it immediately went inside. It wiggled a few times before ultimately clicking.

"I'm proud of you, Kaila," Charlotte said, placing a hand on her friend and rival. They were roughly the same height, it seemed.

"Thanks, Charlotte. I like you too," Kaila said, picking up Magby's pokéball. "It's normal to just catch Pokémon without battling them, right?"

"Of course. That's how I caught Noibat and Dartrix," Charlotte said with a kind smile.

The two girls returned to the base of the volcano as the sun was setting, regaling Niko and Warren in their brief adventures while Rotomdex showed them pictures that it took along the way.

"I think we should wait until tomorrow to challenge Kiawe," Niko said, looking back up at the mountain before they left the trial site. Charlotte and Kaila seemed to both agree, as did Warren, who figured they all needed some rest, as well as some more training. The four of them then returned back to the beach at the end of a long, and very successful, day in the heat.


	19. Dancing with fire

**Episode 19: Dancing with fire**

Smoke from Wela Volcano dispersed into the early morning air. It was the first thing Niko noticed as he woke up. The second was his girlfriend, Charlotte, sleeping soundly next to him. The third, his Eevee sleeping between them. That day he, Charlotte, and their friend Kaila would all compete to clear the final trial on Akala Island, and qualify to challenge Olivia in her Grand Trial.

By the time he was awake, Kaila was already out training with her four Pokémon, specifically with the newly caught Magby. Despite her general fear of fire types, Kaila seemed to get along just fine with the tiny Pokémon. It was a fitting match for her, Niko thought—small, relatively harmless, much unlike what it might eventually become.

He too sent out his Pokémon to prepare them for the trial ahead. After an hour of training, the four devoured a sizeable meal and prepared to head towards the volcano once more.

"Kaila," Niko said as they entered the archway into Wela Volcano Park, "how do you feel?"

"I…I feel alright," she said, albeit hesitantly. "At least, I think so."

"Good. That's usually how I feel when I'm about to face my fears, too," Niko said with a smirk. "You're gonna do great!"

"Heh, thanks Niko," Kaila said. Charlotte and Warren both nodded in agreement. It took them nearly an hour to make it up the volcano, by which time they had arrived at the trial site. It was an open platform on the side of the volcano, and the end of their pathway upwards. Two torches were set on both ends of the entrance to the platform, as well as scattered around the platform. Niko and his friends entered, but saw no one around.

"Hello," a decisive voice echoed behind them. Turning around, Niko and his friends noticed a tall, muscular and dark-skinned young man. He had red and brown hair in a style that represented fire. He wore red shorts with a black outline and sandals with the same color scheme. He was also shirtless. Lastly, he wore a necklace with a small badge and feather decoration on it, and on his wrist was a white Z-ring. "You must be here for my trial, correct?"

"Yes, I'm Niko. This is Charlotte, and—"

"—I know your names. Mallow, err, told me you'd be coming. Welcome to Wela Volcano, my name is Kiawe. My trial will be relatively quick, if you can keep up. Pokémon battling is a style, an art, a way of life. To truly become one with your Pokémon, you must understand its movements. My trial will test that in a way that no other trial does. Are you ready?"

Charlotte stepped forward, as Niko had gone first last time. "Yes," she said. Kiawe then began walking into the center of the platform. Niko, Kaila, and Warren all left the platform and watched from afar.

"Ah, Charlotte, right?" Kiawe asked, in which his challenger silently responded, "great, let's begin. Marowak, I choose you!" Kiawe shouted, summoning a familiar-looking Pokémon. However, it looked different than the ones Niko was accustomed to seeing. The major differences were its darker skin tone and the blue-green flames emitting from both ends of the bone in its hands.

"What's that?" Niko asked. To answer this, Rotomdex rushed forward.

"Bzzzt, that's a Marowak, Niko! I suppose there is a Kanto variant to this one. Marowak is a ghost and fire type Pokémon, and is known as the Bone Keeper Pokémon. The rich greenery of the Alola region is hard on Marowak. It controls fire to stay alive."

"Interesting…" Niko said, scratching his head. "Go, Charlotte!"

"I will perform dances alongside my Marowak, Charlotte," Kiawe said, "and it is your job to identify them. Get four of them right, and I will allow you to face the Totem. For this part of the trial, you may use a Pokémon to help you, but you cannot use that same Pokémon to fight the Totem. Am I clear?"

Charlotte nodded. "Yes. Dartrix, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning the Blade Quill Pokémon. She then explained the rules of the trial to him. In response, Dartrix nodded. "Great, let's begin."

"Aye. Marowak, prepare for the first dance!" he shouted. First, Kiawe performed what looked like Normalium-Z's poses. This time, no Z-energy was transferred, like it normally would be. Charlotte, noticing that her normal crystal wasn't present, mimicked the dance with Dartrix, coming to a finish with her arms at right angles above and below her waist.

"Normalium-Z!" she shouted proudly.

"Very good. Next one," Kiawe then preformed something similar to what Lana had done in Brooklet Hill, making wave-like motions with his hands. Marowak also mimicked these moves before the two came to a stop. Charlotte and Dartrix did the same.

"Waterium-Z!" she shouted. Kiawe nodded.

"You're good at this. I can see why Mallow holds you and your friend in such high esteem. Third one!" Now, Kiawe and Marowak performed something Charlotte didn't recognize, although she did have an idea. "Do you need us to repeat it? You seem confused."

"Yes, please," Charlotte said, "pay close attention, Dartrix," she said, and they both did, especially when Kiawe's finished pose was him with two fingers pressed on his forehead, as if he were using a psychic power. "Psych…ium…Z?" Charlotte said after she and Dartrix also performed the move.

"Correct. Well done. Final dance!" Kiawe declared loudly. Now, he and Marowak puffed their hands high into the air, as if they were raising steam into the air. He then brought his right hand down, with his palm facing forward, and his left arm pointing towards his right elbow. Suddenly, Z-energy transferred from his Z-ring to Marowak. Suddenly a large ball of fire appeared in front of its mouth and was launched towards Charlotte and Dartrix. The two dove to the left and right, respectively, to dodge the attack, which disintegrated as soon as it hit the edge of the platform. "Well? What dance was that?"

"That was…" Charlotte coughed, "Firium…Z?"

"Correct! Well done!" Kiawe said, helping Charlotte back up. She returned Dartrix. "Now, you must face the Totem Pokémon. Remember, keep in mind how your Pokémon move. That's the key to victory, in this battle and in the others following it," he said. He then left the platform, leaving Charlotte entirely alone as she heard something rumbling to her left. Suddenly, a massive, lizard-like Pokémon appeared in front of her with the same orange aura as previous Totem Pokémon had. It looked oddly similar to her newly-caught Salandit.

"Uh…Rotomdex…" Charlotte asked, "what's that?"

"Bzzzt…that's a Salazzle. It's also the Toxic Lizard Pokémon, and the evolved form of female Salandit. A poison and fire type, it punishes Salandit that couldn't bring it food with a fierce slap of its flame-spewing palm."

"N-Noibat, I choose you!" Charlotte shouted, realizing she needed to put on a brave face, especially around Kaila. She and Niko couldn't show fear around her, of all people. "Use screech!"

Totem Salazzle hissed back from the ugly sounds Noibat emitted before opened its mouth and creating a purple circle underneath Noibat. Suddenly, toxic liquid appeared from under the circle, spitting upwards and covering Noibat in poison. She cried out as Salazzle suddenly fired off a small fireball in her direction, exploding on contact and rocketing Noibat backwards, onto the ground.

"Noibat!" she shouted. "G-get back up!" she demanded. "Use screech again!"

Noibat emitted a loud, nasty sound from her ears once again, which seemed to upset the Totem, who responded with yet another flame burst. Then, moments later, she roared out again, and a small Salandit appeared from on the side of the mountain and next to the her.

An Ally Pokémon…Charlotte thought. "Use gust on the Salandit!" she commanded. Totem Salazzle fired off a third flame burst that hit Noibat directly in the chest before she could use gust, knocking her to the ground. She quickly turned a nasty purple color as the poison continued to course through her body. "You can do it! Use wing attack on Salandit!"

"Focus on movements, Charlotte," Kiawe muttered as Noibat charged for the Ally Pokémon before being stricken again by flame burst, knocking her to the ground. She got up and made a second attempt at it before getting thrown across the battlefield by Salazzle, who made a quick grab for Noibat and thrust her at a pointed rock on the edge of the platform. "Your Noibat is unable to battle!" he declared.

"Return," Charlotte said, sighing, "let's see what you can do—Salandit, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning her newest Pokémon, who seemed to recognize Totem Salazzle and Ally Salandit. Charlotte picked up on this, and wondered about the wisdom of her choice. "Use dragon rage!"

Totem Salazzle seemed to take her second opponent far more seriously than Noibat, quickly sliding across the platform with her thin legs and arms before spinning around and smacking Charlotte's Salandit in the side of the face with her tail, disrupting the dragon rage and launching her into the pointed rock opposite the one Noibat had crashed into. Salazzle then fired off a flame burst that ordinarily shouldn't do any damage, but nevertheless managed to. Salandit quickly responded with a dragon rage to attempt to block the attack, but couldn't fire it off in time, and got thrown backwards from the force of flame burst. Ally Salandit then leapt forward and slashed at Charlotte's Salandit, knocking it to the ground.

"Return, Salandit," Charlotte said before Kiawe could declare her unfit for battle. "Flaaffy, it's on you now!" she shouted, summoning the Wool Pokémon. "Use cotton spore on Totem Salazzle, and electro ball on Ally Salandit!" she commanded. Flaaffy nodded, releasing cotton balls into the air as he prepared an ever-expanding electric ball to throw at the Ally Salandit. He successfully did, throwing the Toxic Lizard backwards and off of the platform, effectively knocking it out of the battle.

"Hmm…" Kiawe said, carefully watching her movements with Flaaffy, "it's unusually powerful," he muttered to himself. Niko heard this, but chose not to respond—there was no need to reveal Flaaffy's secret to a Trial Captain.

"Flaaffy, use thunderwave on the Totem!" she commanded, now that Salazzle was slowed down. The Wool Pokémon released a wave of electricity that struck the Totem, bringing it onto all-fours. It writhed in pain for a few moments before somehow breaking through the paralysis and charged forward. "Electro ball!"

Salazzle was far too quick for Flaaffy, quickly closing the distance and grabbing onto Flaaffy's tail-bulb, using it as leverage to throw the Wool Pokémon around and behind her. Flaaffy hit the back wall of the platform and fell to the ground, taking a flame burst from Salazzle in the process. Salazzle then sprayed Flaaffy with some purple liquid—it wasn't the move "toxic," but it looked similar.

"That's venom drench," Kiawe said. Totem Salazzle then responded with toxic, forcing Flaaffy back onto the ground. He struggled to get up, eventually doing so and taking another flame burst to the chest, pressing him up to the rock wall behind him.

"Flaaffy!" Charlotte shouted, her Z-ring glowing. She had silently switched it out with Normalium-Z, just in case. "Let's go!" she commanded. Flaaffy nodded, performing the synchronized poses with his trainer as they transferred Z-energy amongst themselves. "BREAKNECK BLITZ!" Charlotte screamed out. Flaaffy then charged down the platform and struck Totem Salazzle. "Now, finish it off with electro ball!" she shouted. As Totem Salazzle was laying on the ground, reeling from the attack, Flaaffy spun around and, with the last bit of energy he could muster, slapped Salazzle across the face with his electrified tail-bulb, knocking it back to the ground in defeat.

"Well done, Charlotte," Kiawe said, approaching Totem Salazzle and handing her a basket of Sitrus Berries. "And well done for you too, Salazzle. You may leave to rest for a bit—I might need you later," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a red z-crystal. "This…is Firium-Z. The last dance you guessed will activate Inferno Overdrive, should your Pokémon know a fire type move. The dance is the same as the one Marowak and I performed," he said, quickly repeating the dance again. "Now, who's next?"

"I am," Kaila said quietly, stepping forward on her own accord. This surprised Niko and Charlotte—Kaila was getting braver.

"Very well. Kaila…right? Yes, Lana told me about you. Said your Rockruff was pretty strong."

"He is!" Kaila said excitedly, which drew a friendly smirk from Kiawe.

"I always appreciate a trainer's enthusiasm. I used to have a friend who seemed to have an endless supply of it. Anyways, Marowak, let's go! Kaila, just like with Charlotte, this will be a two-part trial," he went on to explain it in the same way as he did with Charlotte, "got it?"

Kaila nodded.

"Then let's begin," Kiawe said, performing the first dance. It seemed to take Kaila a moment, but she successfully recognized it as Fightinium-Z. The second was Grassium-Z; the third was supposedly Darkinium-Z, and the final one was also Firium-Z that she and Bounsweet barely dodged. "Now, for the Totem," Kiawe stated, stepping off of the platform as a massive Alolan Marowak appeared in his place. Illuminated by an orange aura, it was certainly the Totem Pokémon.

"Charjabug, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning the bug-like battery Pokémon onto the field. The electric type fought Totem Marowak for some time before falling—lasting far longer than either Niko or Charlotte believed. Then came Ruffy, the only Pokémon that had any semblance of an advantage against the Totem. "Use rock throw!" she commanded.

Ruffy leapt forward, summoning a series of rocks that he threw at the Totem, who used its massive, fiery bone to block each one. Totem Marowak then charged at Ruffy and whacked Ruffy with its glowing bone.

"Was that—?" Niko wondered.

"That…was brick break, actually," Kiawe replied. "Doesn't look like it, though."

"Ruffy, you can do it!" Kaila said. "Use thunder fang!" Just as Ruffy charged forward, his teeth electrically charged, Totem Marowak leapt forward into a wheel of fire and collided with its opponent, knocking Ruffy to the ground. Marowak then jumped out of the wheel and slammed its large bone into Ruffy, rocketing him into the wall opposite Kaila. Ruffy collapsed onto the ground in defeat. "Ruffy!" Kaila said, returning her Pokémon. "I—I…" she sniffled, "I forfeit."

"What?" Kiawe asked in a low voice. It was apparent that this was new to him.

"I forfeit the trial, Kiawe. I am sorry," she said, bowing in front of the Trial Captain. "I want to request a rematch at a later time."

"Accepted," Kiawe said, holding out his hand. "And I appreciate how well you're handling your loss. Rarely do I see that kind of grace with a trainer."

"I've recently learned to not have any fears," she said, looking at Niko and Charlotte with a smile. "And so I won't!"

"Well done, then. I wish you luck in your training. However…we do have a third challenger, correct?" he said, turning to Niko. "Approach the platform, and we will begin. Marowak!" Kiawe summoned his ordinary-sized Marowak, and Niko summoned his Cutiefly, and the two began the first part of the trial.

Kiawe and Marowak began by waving their arms again, to which Niko quickly answered Waterium-Z. He was correct, allowing the captain to continue. The second one was unfamiliar, but it ended with Kiawe creating a lightning bolt of sorts with his arms, which prompted Niko to shout "Electrium-Z!" Correct, they moved on to the third, which Niko figured must be dragon-related, as Kiawe was creating a massive mouth with his arms. "Draconium-Z?" Niko asked.

"Correct. And now the final one," Kiawe said, once more performing the poses for Firium-Z. Niko guessed it correct, and the Trial Captain left the platform in lieu of the Totem, which proved to, once again, be Totem Salazzle.

"This'll…this'll be difficult. Pikipek, I choose you!" Niko shouted, summoning the Woodpecker Pokémon. "Use pluck!"

Salazzle waited for Pikipek to close in on it before using venom drench, knocking the bird onto the ground. The Totem then belted out a flame burst that hit Pikipek, knocking him across the platform, where he weakly got back up. Salazzle then appeared to use toxic, filling the Woodpecker's body with the toxic liquid before firing off another flame burst. Pikipek was rocketed backwards, crashing into Niko, but not yet out of the battle.

He slowly got back up and used echoed voice, albeit weakly though, before moving in to use pluck and succeeding. In retaliation, Totem Salazzle spun around and whacked Pikipek with its tail before following up with flame burst. Just as Pikipek fell to the ground in defeat, the Toxic Lizard Pokémon cried out, summoning an Ally Salandit, just as before with Charlotte.

"What the…?" Niko said, in shock and awe by how powerful this thing was. "Fine. Return, Pikipek. Torracat, I choose you!" Niko shouted, summoning the Fire Cat Pokémon. "Let's win this. Use fire fang!"

"Careful," Kiawe advised. Niko turned to him, unsure of what he meant, before noticing Torracat get drenched in poison and further intoxicated by a follow-up attack. Torracat landed on his paws, wincing from the pain of the poison. To Niko, this hardly felt like a fire type trial—it was more a poison one.

Then we'll make it a fire trial, Niko said. "Torracat, use ember all around you!" he said, not quite sure what he was going for yet. Salazzle then charged forward to use venom drench again, but Torracat slowly moved to the side and spun halfway around to kick the Totem in the side. Salazzle crumpled to the ground when Torracat continued to surround himself in fire. "Keep going!" Niko shouted.

"What's he doing?" Warren wondered. Niko and Torracat continued to do this for some time until the field was covered in fire. Torracat then threw flames down underneath himself. He was heating up the area around himself, but for what purpose?

Suddenly, the Fire Cat Pokémon began to sweat—a lot. Enough that it seemed like the poison was finding ways to exit his body. Is this was Niko was hoping for?

"Now, double kick!" Niko commanded. Torracat leapt through the fire at Totem Salazzle, only to meet a flame burst. He slapped it aside and continued running down the way before he spun on his front paws and kicked Totem Salazzle in the chin, "And again!"

Torracat then jumped off of his front paws, spun vertically through the air, and slapped Salazzle across the face with his front paws before landing back on all fours. Salazzle retaliated by spinning her body and trying to slap Torracat with her tail. The fire Cat Pokémon leapt over the and ran over towards the wall on the edge of the platform, lunged at it and used his hind legs to springboard off of it at Totem Salazzle, spinning forward and kicking her in the face, enduring a quick venom drench in the process.

"What the…?" Kiawe said, his jaw dropping.

"Now, Torracat!" Niko said, his Z-ring glowing. "Our finishing move! Use All-Out Pummeling!" he shouted, performing the poses necessary for the move and successfully transferring Z-energy to his Pokémon. Torracat absorbed it and fired off orange, fist-shaped blasts of energy at his opponent, knocking Salazzle continuously in the face before knocking it over in front of Niko. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon attempted to get back up, but Torracat prevented that by leaping onto its torso and pinning it down with his hind legs and his front paws on each side of the Totem's neck.

"Well, then," Kiawe said, clapping. "Well done, Niko. Salazzle, well done on your part as well. As a reward for your victory, like with Charlotte I present to you Firium-Z. You may now use Inferno Overdrive which, judging by your battle today, I'm sure you're quite capable of using."

"Thank you, Kiawe," Niko said, bowing to the Trial Captain.

"Now, you and Charlotte can both qualify for Olivia's Grand Trial. I will contact her and make her aware of this. You will want to meet her in Konikoni City, which is on the southernmost point of the island. If you're going to Heahea City, instead go southwards to Diglett's Tunnel, and after that you'll arrive in the city. I wish you luck."

"Thanks, Kiawe," Niko and Charlotte said before turning to Kaila.

"Congrats to both of you," she said softly.

"And good luck to you," Niko said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "let's go train for your rematch."

"What?" Kaila asked, confused.

"We're gonna help you get ready to take on this trial again," Niko declared. "All of us."

"Yup!" Warren said, holding a thumbs up. Charlotte simply touched Kaila's other shoulder and nodded.

"Wow…um, thanks," Kaila said, clearly at a loss for words, "I'm not sure what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Niko replied with a wink, "let's go!"

Kaila nodded, and the four trainers left Wela Volcano Park, two of them ready to advance to their next challenge in Konikoni City.


	20. Pikipek the Wrestler

**Episode 20: Pikipek the wrestler**

"Ruffy!" Kaila shouted, "use rock tomb!" Ruffy barked loudly, summoning slabs of rock to fall from the sky, trapping Totem Marowak inside. "Now use rock throw!" she commanded. "And follow up with bite and then thunder fang!"

Totem Marowak fired off what looked like hex, but Ruffy skillfully dodged the move before leaping forward and biting down on the Totem, just as it broke through the rock tomb with brick break. Ruffy's teeth then lit up with electric sparks, shocking the Marowak and forcing it to the ground.

"Finish it off with rock throw!" Kaila commanded. Ruffy barked once more, conjuring several small rocks and throwing them in turn at Totem Marowak, decisively defeating it. She let out a relieved sigh before waiting for an excited Ruffy to jump into her arms. "Great job! You're awesome, Ruffy!"

"Well done, Kaila," Kiawe said as he approached the victorious challenger. He presented her with Firium-Z and gave her the information on how to get to Olivia for her Grand Trial. Turning around and away from the Trial Captain, Kaila saw her three friends standing there, all clapping for her.

"You did great!" Niko said, placing an arm on her shoulder as they walked down Wela Volcano again. "We're all so proud of you."

"Thanks, Niko," Kaila said, slightly turning red at the compliment. "And now we're all going on to the Grand Trial!"

"Yeah!" Niko said, "want to join us on our way to Konikoni City?"

"I would, but I want to stick around here for a bit longer and train with Magby. I think it'd be best if he's learning how to battle while in his element," Kaila said. Given that only a few days ago she had a fear of fire, this was an unusually large step for her. Niko recognized this and smiled warmly. He had only known her for over a month, but Kaila was really coming into her own now, and it was a sight to behold.

"Gotcha. Well, we're gonna head off now," Charlotte said, bringing Kaila in for a hug. She was certainly caught off guard by this, and quickly accepted it and returned the favor. Niko simply shook her hand, as did Warren, before the three of them set off in a southern direction towards Konikoni City.

"Bzzzt…" Rotomdex began, "It'll take some time to get to Konikoni City. The closest stop would be Royal Avenue."

"Royal Avenue…?" Niko asked, imagining some sort of castle with a king and queen. "What's there?"

"The Battle Royal Dome," Rotomdex continued, "At least, according to my database, which is hardly ever wrong."

"Okay…" Niko said, continuing to inquire, "What's there though?"

"The Battle Royal Dome," Rotomdex repeated, "At least, according to my database, which is hardly ever wrong."

"NOT WHAT I MEANT ROTOMDEX," Niko said, only slightly frustrated now. "Anyway, how far is this 'Royal Avenue' that you're talking about? What's it even about?"

"Searching my databases for more information…" Rotomdex declared, simply floating along as the trio continued southwards. "Ah, here it is. The Battle Royal battle style is a unique type of battle where four trainers stand in different corners of a ring. Each trainer will have one Pokémon each, and the last one standing is the winner. That is generally the standard procedure for these battles. Some matches allow trainers to use three Pokémon, and some allow only one. It's quite fascinating, based on what I'm finding."

"I think we should try it out," Niko said, "it'll be good experience for Charlotte and I, and Warren can even participate!"

"What do you mean by 'even' me?" Warren asked, oddly defensive.

"Well, since you don't compete in gyms or Island Challenges, this is something that you can actually do, y'know? Kinda like the Jr. World Tournament in Unova, remember?"

Warren nodded, but while he was convinced of Niko's point, it did bring up the lack of a lifelong destination for him, at least in his mind. It was clear that he felt lost, and his hesitancy to tell his two closest friends was slowly becoming more obvious.

Royal Avenue looked like a small city in appearance, but in reality was simply a large gathering of buildings and businesses all geared around the Battle Royal Dome. There was a small park to the south where trainers occasionally gathered; a local Pokémon Center; what looked like a small shopping mall; and, most importantly, the Battle Royal Dome, which reminded Niko of the Pokémon Contest Halls he saw scattered around the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions. It was a navy-blue domed building with a massive glass entrance surrounded by a modern-looking exterior design. As they entered, they noticed four thick columns, each with a different color—red, yellow, green, and blue. Palm trees lines the pathway towards the entrance, in what appeared to be a traditional Alolan fashion.

It was late in the afternoon when the trio arrived at the front desk to register. By the time they arrived, the woman at the registration table told them that they would be unable to participate in any of that day's matches—they would have to wait until the following morning. They could, however, watch one of the final matches of the night with the famous Masked Royal.

"Who's that?" Niko asked, only to hear an unnecessarily loud gasp from the woman behind the table.

"Masked Royal is a famous—and very good looking—professional wrestler around Alola. He is nearly unbeatable!"

"Really now?" Niko asked. The registration lady nodded enthusiastically, urging the three of them to go and see for themselves. They did, ascending one of the two staircases that led into the stadium stands. There, they noticed four trainers standing inside the ring. In each corner was a different kind of Pokémon—in the red corner, there was a Charizard's mouth; in the yellow corner, a Haxorus'; in the green corner, a Tyranitar's; in the blue corner, a Gyarados'. In the red corner stood a shirtless man with a multi-colored mask on. He owned a bipedal, red-and-black feline-like Pokémon that looked similar to Litten and Torracat. His other opponents were a Pokémon that looked similar to a raichu, a toucan-like Pokémon, and a dartrix.

Quickly—and decisively—the feline Pokémon won with some sort of spinning move that knocked out two of the three, and followed up with a flamethrower-like attack from its waist that struck the toucan, knocking it to the ground in defeat.

"AND HE DOES IT AGAIN, FOLKS!" the announcer declared. "The Masked Royal OH-KO'ed his opponents in two attacks or less! It's incredible!"

"I could beat him," Niko said. "And by me, I mean Feraligatr."

"With a Z-move, of course," Warren said.

"Not so sure about that," the three of them turned to see Melinda standing in the entrance to the stands. She winked at Niko, "My Pelipper could give that thing a run for its money more than some crocodile."

"Hey Melinda. How's it going?" Niko asked as his rival reached in for a hug.

"It's been pretty good. Just cleared the Lush Jungle trial and off to Wela Volcano. You?" she asked.

"Cleared Wela Volcano—Charlotte and I—and we're off to compete in the Grand Trial!"

"Ah, always a step ahead," Melinda said with a smirk. "But I'm sure you couldn't beat me in a Battle Royal match."

"You wanna see about that?" Niko asked. He was feeling unusually confident that day—Charlotte and Warren certainly noticed it. "Tomorrow—you're on."

"You should all compete while we're at it!" Melinda said, "the four of us—it'd be fun!"

"Oh! Yeah!" Charlotte said excitedly. "I'd like that!"

"So would I," Niko said. "Let's see if we can get registered for tomorrow's match right now."

Later that night, Niko sat in his lodging at the local Pokémon Center with Charlotte beside him and his Pokémon sleeping all around him. Eevee slept soundly between him and Charlotte; Torracat slept on the chair nearby, purring loudly; Pikipek perched himself on top of the same chair; and Cutiefly was…somewhere, but certainly sleeping.

"Niko, what's up?" Charlotte asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just watching my Pokémon sleep," Niko said with a shy smile. "It's always a treat to see, I think: they're so peaceful, which is the opposite of how they are most of the time."

"I getcha," Charlotte said, looking over at her Pokémon, all of whom were sleeping roughly near one another, Salandit excluded. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon was still getting accustomed to her new team, and didn't seem to like them much, at least not yet. "Excited for the battle tomorrow? We managed to get the first match of the day!"

"Oh, absolutely. Not sure who I'll use, though," Niko said. "Since we're only using one Pokémon, right? Man, that's hard…"

"You'll make the right choice," Charlotte said, leaning up to kiss him before laying back down and falling asleep. Niko followed suit a few minutes later.

* * *

"Welcome, one and all to the Battle Royal Dome! I'm your host, Barry Caesarman, and for our first match of the day," an announcer in the box at the top of the stands declared, "we have four trainers from all over the world! In the red corner, we have Niko from Pallet Town! In the blue corner, we have Melinda from Littleroot Town! In the green corner, we have Charlotte from Castelia City! And finally, in the yellow corner, we have Warren from Castelia City!

"Each trainer will only use a single Pokémon in this match-up. The last trainer standing will be declared the winner of the Battle Royal match!" Mr. Caesarman declared. "We even have a special guest for this match—Masked Royal is here! He will be offering commentary alongside me during the match!"

"Hello, bros! It's me, the one and only Masked Royal! I'm beyond excited to see these four strong trainers battle it out!"

"Aaand now, let's see what they all have to offer!"

Niko and his friends all looked at one another, waiting for someone to begin. It was more nerve-wrecking than he had initially anticipated, but when Niko looked at Charlotte—who looked back—he felt a little more comfortable than before. He also had Eevee by his side, as he figured the Evolution Pokémon could do with seeing a different kind of battling style.

"Leavanny, I choose you!" Warren shouted.

"Salandit, you're up!" Charlotte shouted.

"Pikipek, I choose you!" Niko said.

"Brionne, I choose you!" Melinda shouted, prompting her three opponents to turn to the unfamiliar Pokémon. It was light-blue in color with three ruffle-like growths around its body, which alternated in white and pale blue. Its long ears were made up of three segments that lighten and increase in size towards the tip. Its front flippers were longer than its tail flippers. Lastly, it had a spherical pink nose, and large dark eyes with pink pupils.

"Bzzzt…that's a Brionne!" Rotomdex declared as it hovered behind Charlotte. "It's a water type, and is known as the Pop Star Pokémon. It attacks by smacking its enemies with the exploding water balloons that it creates."

"Alright, then. Pikipek, use pluck on Leavanny!" Niko commanded.

"Leavanny, leaf blade on Pikipek!"

"Salandit, dragon rage on Brionne!" Charlotte shouted.

"Brionne, aqua jet on Salandit!" Melinda said with a smirk. The Pop Star Pokémon shot forward, weaving underneath Pikipek as it targeted Leavanny, and crashed into Salandit before the Toxic Lizard Pokémon could even use dragon rage. "Now, use bubble beam!"

"Block it with smog!" Charlotte commanded. Salandit coughed out a purple gas from her mouth that caught Brionne off guard, causing the Pop Star Pokémon to collapse backwards on the ground.

"Woah there!" Masked Royal commented, "that Salandit managed to hit back against a fast water type like Brionne? Incredible!"

"Not nearly as incredible as the other battle being waged!" Mr. Caesarman observed.

"Pikipek!" Niko shouted as his Woodpecker Pokémon was struck by a powerful leaf blade from Leavanny, followed up by x-scissor to send it rocketing backwards. "U-use echoed voice!" Niko declared.

Pikipek cried out, disrupting the entire battle. Brionne and Salandit cried out from the loud sound, and Leavanny simply responded with razor leaf, which hit all of the Pokémon except Pikipek, who managed to dodge the move by flying directly upwards. Pikipek continued with echoed voice, only being stopped when Brionne matched it with disarming voice.

"Leavanny, leaf blade on Brionne!"

"Salandit!" Charlotte shouted, "Use ember!"

Salandit's back flared up a bright red-orange color as she spit out fireballs at the unsuspecting Nurturing Pokémon, who took the hit and collapsed onto the ground.

"Follow up with dragon rage!" she commanded, and Salandit responded by spitting out orange and purple flames at Leavanny, who blocked it with razor leaf before skillfully leaping into the air and spinning as she descended, striking Salandit with a leaf blade. "When'd you practice that?" she asked Warren, surprised by Leavanny's battling abilities.

"While you and Niko are off macking, I'm training," Warren said with a wink. Charlotte turned beet red. "Leavanny, use string shot on Salandit!"

"Pikipek, rock smash on Brionne!" Niko commanded. The Woodpecker Pokémon charged forward and slammed his beak into Brionne, knocking the Pop Star Pokémon into the ground before it could respond with disarming voice. "Now, use echoed voice!"

"Disarming voice!" Melinda commanded.

Both sound-based attacks collided in the middle of the ring, blowing both Pokémon backwards while also inadvertently hitting Leavanny and Salandit. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Charlotte's Z-ring began to glow.

"Salandit!" she cried out, "Let's go!" The two of them performed synchronized poses before the Toxic Lizard Pokémon created a massive fireball, firing it off at Leavanny, Pikipek, and Brionne. It exploded, launching all three Pokémon into their respective corners, but only the latter two managed to get back up.

"Leavanny is unable to battle!" the referee declared.

"And one is down! To a Z-move, nonetheless!" Caesarman declared, "Masked Royal, looks like these trainers are competing in the Island Challenge!"

"It sure seems like that!" Masked Royal repeated with a smirk, "That makes this all the more interesting."

"Brionne, aqua jet on Salandit!" Melinda commanded.

"Pikipek, pluck on Brionne!" Niko shouted. Before Brionne could reach the Toxic Lizard Pokémon, Pikipek tackled it to the ground with its glowing light-blue beak. Brionne crumbled to the ground, just as Melinda's Z-ring also began to glow.

"If we're playing that game," she said with a smirk. She and Brionne performed wave-like synchronized moves before transferring Z-energy from trainer to Pokémon. It then swam through a newly-created wave of water towards Salandit, becoming covered in a light blue torrent of water in the process. Brionne then swam in a circle, creating a vortex of water which attacked Salandit.

"Salandit, no!" Charlotte shouted as a now drenched Salandit collapsed in front of her.

"Salandit is unable to battle!" the referee declared.

"And then there were two!" Mr. Caesarman announced. Masked Royal sat back, looking curious now.

"Pikipek, let's keep going buddy," Niko said, "We can win this!"

"Brionne, aqua jet!" Melinda commanded. Niko then realized Brionne wasn't the least bit exhausted by using its z-move—for whatever reason. Pikipek managed to dodge the aqua jet and follow up with echoed voice, which forced the Pop Star Pokémon into the ground. "Use disarming voice!"

"Echoed voice again!" Niko shouted. Pikipek attempted to use the attack, but disarming voice proved to be more powerful, and knocked the Woodpecker out of the air and onto the floor of the ring.

"Bubble beam!" Melinda commanded. Brionne fired off a steady stream of bubbles at Pikipek, pushing him across the ring, albeit slowly. "Now, aqua jet!"

"Pikipek, you're stronger than this," Niko said, watching Pikipek get pummeled by aqua jet and subsequently disarming voice. "I know you are!"

"Go Pikipek!" Charlotte shouted from her corner. "You can do it!"

In Niko's corner, Eevee cried out as well. Slowly, Pikipek got back up, staring directly at Brionne. He didn't feel like he had the energy for a Z-move—he didn't feel like he had the energy for anything. But Niko kept cheering him on, and he didn't want to let his trainer down. The trainer that gave him a real home—and a purpose.

Pikipek cawed loudly as a white light illuminated him. He began to grow, albeit not much. He retained his black feathers and much of his prior appearance. His beak was now longer and tapered to a sharp point. His eyes were still round and blue. The only major difference was that pointed feathers extended from the back of its to form a longer crest than as a pikipek. Lastly, his tail was now composed of three feathers.

"Bzzzt, Niko!" Rotomdex cried out from Charlotte's corner, "Your Pikipek just evolved into Trumbeak! It's known as the Bugle Beak Pokémon, and is normal and flying type. It can bend the tip of its beak to produce over a hundred different cries at will!"

"Trumbeak," Niko said with a smirk, "let's win this. Use echoed voice!"

"Disarming voice!" Melinda commanded. This time, both Pokémon managed to block one another's attacks, but only temporarily, as Trumbeak's voice knocked Brionne to the ground.

"Supersonic!" Niko commanded. He had been working with Trumbeak on this move for the past few days—now seemed like an ample time to use it. Trumbeak bent his beak and released an awful-sounding cry that knocked Brionne back onto the ring's floor. When it got up, it stumbled several times before using a wildly inaccurate bubble beam. "Now, Trumbeak," Niko said, his Z-ring glowing. "Let's finish this. Use Breakneck Blitz!"

Trumbeak charged down the ring towards Brionne, his body glowing an orange color. At the speed that he crashed into the Pop Star Pokémon, he sent both of them rocketing out of the ring and just below the stands, causing a cloud of dust to erupt around them. Out of the dust appeared only Trumbeak, who happily perched himself on Niko's shoulder, albeit wobbling from exhaustion.

"Brionne is unable to battle!" the referee declared, "Which means the winner of the match is Niko from Pallet Town!"

"All thanks to you, Trumbeak," Niko said with a smirk. Trumbeak nodded, joyful as well.

* * *

Niko and his friends watched the next few matches. Only one was of note to Niko—and to his Eevee. In the last match of the day, they saw a man named Kagetora who was using an Eevee.

"Eevee!" he shouted in a deep and decisive tone as they looked at their opponent—a pink oricorio. "Let's finish this! Extreme Evoboost!"

"What the-?" Niko wondered. Eevee has a Z-move? Suddenly, all of Eevee's forms appeared around it appeared before disappeared just as quickly, leaving Eevee surrounded by a transparent aura. The Evolution Pokémon then charged forward and struck at its final opponent, knocking Oricorio backwards and onto the ground. Eevee then managed to finish it off with a quick attack.

"And the winner is Kagetora!" Mr. Caesarman declared.

"Wow…" Niko said, amazed by the unusual move. He then noticed Eevee's eyes glimmering. She seemed entranced by the power that her fellow Eevee was exerting. "You wanna be strong like that Eevee one day?"

"Ee!" Eevee shouted joyfully.

"Then we'll have to make that work," Niko said, holding Eevee tighter.

Outside of the Battle Royal Dome, Niko and his friends watched the sun set off in the west. It hadn't been a long day, but nevertheless a successful one. Niko then turned to Melinda.

"You heading off now?" Niko asked.

"No, I'll stay here for the night, but I'm heading to Wela Volcano first thing in the morning, so I don't think I'll have time to say good-bye then. So, I'll say it now!"

"Heh…well, good-bye Melinda!" Niko said.

"Bye to you too, Niko. And you, Eevee," she said, petting the Evolution Pokémon, who cooed happily at it. "I can't wait to battle you one day."

"She can't wait either."

"Charlotte, Warren, keep an eye on him as always," she said with a wink before heading down the road, presumably to train or something.

Niko was about to suggest some training when he heard his stomach grumble. "Hey, you two—wanna get malasadas or something? We haven't had them in a long time!"

Charlotte giggled, "of course. After today, you certainly need them!"

* * *

 **Author's Note: I'm basing the Battle Royal matches on their portrayal in the anime. I think a "last-person-standing" sort of match suits the plot of a story better than a point system like they have in the games (which I think better suits the games), so I chose to go the way the anime does in this regard.**

 **Also, the title could probably be better. This was a hard episode to come up with a title for. Either way, I hope you enjoyed.**


	21. The two classes

**Episode 21: The two classes**

"Cutiefly, use silver wind!" Niko commanded. The Bee Fly Pokémon fluttered his wings powerfully, gathering up a gust of silvery, sparkling air that struck his opponent—Warren's Poliwhirl.

"Use ice punch!" Warren commanded. The Tadpole Pokémon struck the silver wind with his frozen fist, effectively blocking the attack and forcing the wind to flow around Poliwhirl. "Well done, now follow up with water gun!"

"Cutiefly, you can dodge this!" Niko said excitedly, "use absorb!"

Cutiefly joyfully moved out of the path of water gun and forced his way across the grassy plain towards Poliwhirl before colliding with him, quickly draining a bit of energy. Poliwhirl then used double slap to knock Cutiefly off of him, and send the Bee Fly Pokémon into the ground with ice punch.

"You alright?" Niko asked his tiny Pokémon. Cutiefly nodded, albeit looking dizzy. "Well, we'll keep training. I'd like for you to help me in the Grand Trial. No idea what Olivia will use, but you haven't been present in a lot of our trials so far…" Niko then turned to Eevee, who had been watching the practice match, "and same goes for you, little buddy."

"Cutiefly is getting better, Niko," Warren said as he and Poliwhirl approached their friends, "I'm actually surprised Poliwhirl was able to beat it."

"Well, Poliwhirl is strong," Niko said. "But I also could have won with Bloom Doom. I'd just rather not rely on Z-moves for everything."

"I understand. Plus, Cutiefly might faint from exhaustion from using Bloom Doom."

"He's done it before. But you're right—he'd definitely get exhausted," Niko said. Hearing this, Cutiefly fluttered off, albeit angrily. "Wait! I didn't mean it—" Niko sighed. Cutiefly never got angry like this before. In fact, Niko doesn't remember a time where the little Bee Fly was angry.

He walked over to watch Charlotte's training, as he was pretty much done with his. Eevee wasn't training much, and Torracat and Trumbeak are where Niko wants them to be, at least for the moment. Niko observed Dartrix learning ominous wind—a move Charlotte has witnessed and used before; Noibat was practicing her wing attack and supersonic moves; Flaaffy—who hardly ever trained prior to evolving—now took an interest in battling and found it, at the very least, fun; lastly, Salandit was getting used to being around Charlotte and seemed to enjoy getting stronger, as she kept practicing with her moves like ember, dragon rage, and occasionally smog.

"How's it going?" Niko asked when he placed an arm around Charlotte.

"Good! They're getting better! And Salandit has become more accustomed to the others, it's great!" Charlotte said excitedly. "Whatever Olivia has in store for us, I think we'll handle just fine!" she looked at Niko, "What about you?"

"Fine. Except Cutiefly is mad at me because I insisted he'd get tired from using a Z-move," Niko said, slightly frowning.

"Well, that's true though, isn't it?" Charlotte asked.

"It is. I've never seen Cutiefly actually angry, though," Niko commented.

"Well, let's hope it goes away soon," Charlotte said, side-hugging Niko and finishing up her training while her boyfriend and Warren watched.

Later that evening, the trio were sitting down around a campfire, plotting their next destination. Their end-game was Konikoni City, where Olivia would meet them, but it was still far away. Even after a few days of travelling down route 6 of Alola—just south of Paniola Town and Royal Avenue—they were still very far away. However, they did have Rotomdex to help them out.

"Bzzzt…I think you three might enjoy seeing the Hano Grand Resort," it stated.

"What's that?" Niko asked. Obviously, he had never heard of it before.

"It's a large resort, and one of the best in the Alola region. Some of the most famous people in the world visit," Rotomdex explained.

"I think we'll pass on this," Niko said, which seemed to irritate Rotomdex. "We can't pay for it anyways, right?"

"True! However, Niko, I think with your clout you'd get in no problem. There are probably tough trainers that you could learn a thing or two from."

"That's a good point, Niko," Charlotte said, "maybe we'll find something worth learning about Alola there."

"Well, we can't stay there long. Rotomdex, how far is it from here?"

"A couple hours, actually. We're pretty close," Rotomdex stated, seeming excited now. "Are we really going to go!?"

"Yeah, I suppose so," Niko said, just as Rotomdex whizzed and whirred around happily.

* * *

The Hano Grand Resort sat on the southeastern coast of Akala Island and, as Rotomdex made clear, looked as if it were the best in the region. The resort itself was a massive, red-orange colored complex. Four pools of water sat in front of it, with two on each side of the walkway leading to the entrance of the building. As they looked up at the resort building, to their right was the beach, full of tourists and Pokémon running around, seemingly without a care in the world. Off in the distance, to the far left of the other end of the beach, Niko noticed a green golf course.

"This place is incredible," Niko said as someone in a tuxedo suit approached them.

"Excuse me!" he said in a haughty tone, "but what might you three be doing here?"

"Oh, hi," Niko said, "we're just visiting the resort on our way to Konikoni City!"

"Do you have a reservation?" he asked, peering at Niko with a monocle. Niko and his friends all shook their heads. "Then you may not enter!"

"But, Niko's a famous trainer!" Charlotte said, causing the man to raise an eyebrow. "Yeah! He won the most recent Lumiose Conference."

"And made it to the third member of the Elite 4!" Warren added, causing Niko to shy away.

"Oh? Hmm…well, we'll just have to test that, shall we?" he said. "Follow me inside. I'd like for you to meet someone. You said you name was Niko?"

"Yes, and this is my girlfriend, Charlotte, and my friend, Warren," Niko said.

"And I'm Rotomdex!" Rotomdex shouted cheerfully, but the tuxedo man didn't respond, much to the pokédex's disappointment.

The inside of the resort was even more elegant than the exterior. The lobby was a high-ceiling room with high and low-hanging chandeliers made of a beautiful crystalline gem. To their right and left were large rooms full of guests and other visitors sitting on what looked like expensive couches, under large, ancient-looking paintings presumably of other wealthy individuals. Niko recognized some of the Pokémon there—meowth, persian, and several furfrou, as well as Pokémon he didn't recognize at all.

"Ah, Winston!" a tall, portly man with a beautiful woman on each side of him said as he greeted the tuxedo man that found Niko and his friends. He had slick gray hair, a thin mustache and goatee, and wore a navy-blue suit and tie to match. Under his suit jacket were a collection of pokéballs, and a belt with a pokéball symbol with a diamond where the button would normally be in the center. "Are these guests of yours?"

"No, sir," Winston said, bowing to the man, "They are without reservations, but believed that they could walk on these grounds."

"Oh? And why is that? Who are you kids?"

"First off, we're not kids!" Charlotte said defensively, causing the man to smirk and raise an eyebrow with curiosity, "Secondly, we're just here to visit for the day. We have no intention of staying and, judging by this place, we don't want to."

"But we dooo!" Rotomdex said, "And how dare you talk to Ferdinand Diamond like that!"

"Ferdinand…Diamond?" Niko asked.

"He's the richest man in the world!" Rotomdex shouted. "And owner of the Silph Company!"

"A pleasure, young man," Mr. Diamond said, holding out a hand covered in golden rings. "Now, who exactly are you three?"

"I'm Niko. These are my friends, Charlotte and Warren. We're just visiting on our way to Konikoni City."

"Oh, I see. Winston, I take it these three mean no harm. They don't look like they could pay even a fraction of the cost for a single night here," he said, likely referencing the rather dirty clothes the trio were wearing. They didn't exactly look like they had much monetary value to their names.

"But, Mr. Dia—"

"No matter, you three can stay."

"Mr. Diamond, if I may…Niko here is a Conference Champion."

"Really now?" Mr. Diamond's face contorted once more to reflect interest. "Of-?"

"The Lumiose Conference."

"Ah, Lumiose. I'm a fan of that one. I had a good friend of mine win that one, long time ago. Did you know, son, that the daughter of the Hano Resort is a member of Alola's Elite 4?"

"Mr. Diamond, I was actually about to—" Winston was again interrupted by Mr. Diamond, who allowed Niko to answer.

"No, I did not."

"Would you like to meet her? She's probably your age and, if not, who cares," he said with a wink. "She's also a former Island Champion."

"Uh…thanks, but Charlotte's my girlfriend."

"Oh. Very well," Mr. Diamond said. "Please, Niko, follow me," he said, only allowing for Niko to come along. Warren and Charlotte were left behind as their friend, looking back with a concerned expression, shrugged. Mr. Diamond put his arm around Niko, who replaced one of the women, as they disappeared behind a set of regal double doors.

Winston turned to the other two. "You may enjoy time at the beach, but that is it. Only paying customers can reap the benefits of this resort," he said, raising his nose to the two and storming off.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Niko asked Mr. Diamond as they walked down a red carpeted hallway. To their left and right were large doors adorned from top to bottom, with pots holding plants of various shapes and sizes next to the doors.

"You're to meet Kahili," Mr. Diamond said. "A fine young woman, which is odd for trainers these days."

"What do you mean?" Niko asked.

"I've never met a woman as capable of training Pokémon as Kahili."

"Then I'm sure you haven't met a lot of women trainers," Niko said. Immediately, Cynthia, Diantha, and Bonnie came to mind. Not to mention Charlotte, who wasn't Elite 4 caliber yet.

"Are you underestimating my reservoir of connections to powerful trainers?"

"No, but you would then know the multiple women Champions around the world that I'm sure would be stronger than an Elite 4 member," Niko replied, feeling a rush of courage.

"Right, of course. The fact that they allow women to be Champions is incredible on its own, in my view. Battling was always a man's sport when I was younger."

You must be very old, then, Niko thought to himself. He didn't much like Mr. Diamond. His views on the world were contrary to reality, it seemed. And he backed up his beliefs with money and power. Despite Niko not knowing much about this man, he was able to gather that much.

They walked into a room at the end of the hall. There, sitting on the couches were a middle-aged couple in clothes that likely cost more than Niko's parent's house. The women, who had lilac hair and a shiny rose-gold necklace, with a white silk dress to match, was the first to notice them.

"Ah, Ferdinand!" she said, standing up and slowly walking over to Mr. Diamond. "What brings you here? I thought you were off with your girlfriends?" she said, noting the two younger women standing behind Mr. Diamond and Niko.

"Adelaide, it's always a pleasure to stay at your family's resort. But I'm actually looking for Kahili. Is she—ah, there you are!" he said, referencing the young woman standing in the back of the room, near a glass wall overlooking a massive golf course. She had a golf club right-side up and looked like she was polishing it. Upon hearing Mr. Diamond's mention of her name, she stared at him and Niko with a pair of cold, periwinkle eyes.

"Alola, Mr. Diamond," she said softly, but without emotion. Kahili has light blue white hair in the shape of Swanna wings with a cowlick in the front. She wore a sky-blue visor with a tiny orange patch on her left side. Her polo was a light grey blue color with sky-blue stripes to match her hat. Her shoes were white and orange and resembled sandals with orange sporty knee socks. Her golf club was primarily black with an orange and yellow-colored handle. Niko distinctly noticed a z-ring on her left wrist. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I have a challenger for you," Mr. Diamond said, motioning to Niko. "This is Niko. He is a former Conference Champion for the Kalos League and is taking on the Island Challenge now. He'd like to request a battle with you."

"What?" Niko asked, surprised by this. He wasn't ready to take on an Elite 4 member yet. At least, his Pokémon weren't.

"Yes, you will battle her. I want to see your strength as a trainer," Mr. Diamond said with a dead-serious expression.

"It seems like this Niko kid doesn't want to," Kahili said, raising an eyebrow. She wasn't looking back at them, instead her eyes were fixed on the cloth rubbing against the golf club.

"No, he does," Mr. Diamond said. "We insist that he does."

Niko, thinking about this, eventually relented. He had fought several Elite 4 members before he was ready. Granted, he was never close to winning them until he got to the Kalos League, but he still managed to get something out of them, usually a lesson of sorts. "Yes, I would like to battle you."

"You're in luck, kid," Kahili said, now sounding bored, "I've finished practicing for the day. I will battle you in a single-match Pokémon battle. You may use Z-moves, if you can."

Niko nodded. He had no idea what he was getting himself into.

* * *

Charlotte, Warren, and Rotomdex combed the Hano Beach, looking for a nice spot to sit. While they did, Charlotte looked unhappier than ever. First, she was insulted by being called a child; secondly, Mr. Diamond insinuated that her relationship with Niko didn't seem to matter; thirdly, she couldn't even see what he was doing, or where he was going. What was happening to Niko?

"He's probably fine," Warren said cheerfully, trying to calm Charlotte down.

"I know, but—"

"Mr. Diamond seems like a tool, though."

"He is NOT!" Rotomdex said rather defensively, "He is a wonderful, caring man who does good for the world of technology and Pokémon!"

"He also doesn't seem to value human relationships," Charlotte said, "I feel like a lot of wealthy people are like that."

"I think you're too quick to judge him. Just because he had two beautiful, young women around his arms means nothing!"

"If you have a spouse that you love, you wouldn't do that," Charlotte muttered. Would Niko do that? No, he wouldn't, she thought, he values our relationship.

"And the way he only seemed to give Niko any attention was when he heard that Niko was a powerful trainer. It's like we didn't even matter to him!"

"Mr. Diamond only wants the best of the best! Those are the types of people who will change the world!" Rotomdex argued.

"No, the people do, Rotomdex," Warren said in a professorial tone, "Ordinary people with goals of all shapes and sizes do that. Not just wealthy people. Where are you getting this worldview from? You're a robot."

"I'm more than that, Warren! I'm a—oh wow!" Rotomdex said, looking out onto the water. It wasn't the only one to notice it, though—a crowd of tourists were gathering around the water's edge to gaze at none other than "A lapras!"

"Woah…" Warren said, "those are pretty rare, aren't they?"

Charlotte nodded. That particular Lapras was beautiful, too. It looked different from the one she had used in the Brooklet Hill Trial, though. Instead of a sky-blue color, it was a light purple.

"Bzzzt…Lapras, the Transport Pokémon. Water and ice type. They've been so cherished that there's now an overabundance. The fish Pokémon population has declined in water with too many Lapras," Rotomdex stated, "Also…this looks like what the kids might call a 'shiny lapras'"

"Shiny Lapras?" Charlotte wondered, moving through the crowd, trying not to shove aside people yet garnering ugly looks. "Excuse me, thanks," she said. Warren followed closely behind as they made their way to the front. "Wow! It's beautiful!"

"Um, can you not?" a young woman in a swimsuit said, moving Charlotte back into the crowd.

"I did nothing wrong, though!" Charlotte said, moving back to the front, "I just want to see the Lapras!"

"Um yeah, but we do too!" another one said. "Who brought you here? You look like you're from that ranch that everyone talks about."

"And what if I was?" Charlotte asked defensively. "Would that be a problem?"

"Uh no, but like, how can you pay to stay here if you look like that?"

"That's not how you talk to a stranger," Warren interjected. "Come on, Charlotte, let's go. It seems like this is too exclusive for us low-lifes."

"But I'm not a low-life!" Charlotte said, wringing her arm out of Warren's grip. "And even if I was, why would it matter? I wanted to see this rare lapras too, and I have that right!"

The entire time, the lapras was watching Charlotte carefully. Rotomdex noticed this, and quickly snapped a picture of it, for safe-keeping.

Eventually Charlotte yielded and stormed off with Warren. "Let's leave this trash hole. I hate this place, and the people who visit it. They have no respect for people unlike them!"

"Charlotte, please…" Warren said, "let's at least wait for Niko."

She stopped in her tracks in the sand and sighed heavily. "Fine. We'll do that. But I want to see that Lapras again. Even if it kills me," she said, noting that the Transport Pokémon had disappeared.

* * *

Niko stood opposite Kahili in an outdoor battlefield. On the sidelines were Mr. Diamond and his women, Adelaide and her husband, and an official referee who explained the rules of the match.

"Toucannon, I choose you!" Kahili said in a more energized tone than before.

"Toucannon?" Niko muttered. The Pokémon was tall and looked very similar to a toucan. Its beak was long and curved, and colored shades of red, orange, and yellow. "Flying type, then. Who to use…Torracat, I choose you!" he shouted, summoning the Fire Cat Pokémon. "Use ember!"

"Toucannon, dodge and start with rock blast!" Kahili shouted. The Cannon Pokémon rose high into the air and fired off a series of rocks from its elongated mouth, colliding with Torracat's embers and ripping them apart before striking the fire type, causing him to wince. "Now, use beak blast!"

"Torracat, fire fang!" Niko shouted. Toucannon's beak flared up as it dove down at Torracat, striking him with ease and launching him across the battlefield towards Niko. "Don't give up, buddy," Niko said. He heard Mr. Diamond and his women jeering at him and Torracat. "And definitely don't listen to them. Use double kick next time Toucannon shows up, alright?"

Torracat nodded, crouching low to the ground in anticipation. Kahili, somehow sensing this, commanded Toucannon to use rock blast again. Torracat, learning from his basic training with Niko, jumped from side to side, dodging each one successfully. Toucannon then charged down again to use beak blast, and the Fire Cat Pokémon was ready.

"Now!" Niko shouted. Torracat's hind legs began to glow and he jumped 180 degrees, kicking Toucannon's beak just as the latter crash-landed into him. Torracat rocketing face-first into the dirt-covered ground, creating a dust cloud in his wake. "Oof…alright, then," Niko said, his Z-ring glowing. Now, he noticed, Mr. Diamond looked interested. "Torracat, let's win this! Our ultimate move! Inferno Overdrive!" he shouted, performing a series of synchronized moves with the Fire Cat, who then created a massive ball of fire and fired it at Toucannon, who shot directly into the air to dodge it.

To dodge it.

Niko was dumbfounded. It was possible to dodge Z-moves? Then, as things couldn't have gotten worse, Kahili began to use a Z-move of her own.

"Nice try, Niko," Kahili said with a smirk, "I'll show you the real power of a Z-move!" she began to flap her arms before thrusting a fist into the air, as if she were flying directly upwards. "Toucannon, use Supersonic Skystrike!"

Z-energy transferred to Toucannon as it shot even higher into the air before diving directly towards Torracat at an angle. When it crashed, the ground shook and broke, with Torracat in the center. Toucannon swooped back up into the air, landing next to Kahili. When the dust settled, Torracat lay there in defeat.

"Torracat is unable to battle, Toucannon is the winner! The victory goes to Elite 4 Kahili!" the referee declared.

"You're a Conference Champion?" Mr. Diamond said, standing up and approaching Niko. "You must be kidding me! There's no way you could have won a Pokémon tournament with that lame excuse for a battler. You're a fraud, son."

"I'm not," Niko said calmly, albeit he was infuriated on the inside. He couldn't let his anger get to him.

"Sure, you are! There's no way you couldn't be!" Mr. Diamond argued, "Otherwise you could have defeated Kahili, or at least put up a fight!"

"Mr. Diamond—" Kahili began but was interrupted.

"Shut up, woman," Mr. Diamond said. "You're lucky you even made it into the Elite 4. If it wasn't for your father."

"My daughter earned her right," a man, presumably Kahili's father, said. "You have no right to insult her."

"I have every right, Simon," Mr. Diamond said, leering at Kahili's father. "You remember who gave you your start in business?" this seemed to shut him up as well. "Now, Niko, I don't take kindly to liars. I suggest that you leave before security forces you out on my orders. If you will—"

"I'll take him," Kahili said, leering back at Mr. Diamond, "sir."

"Very well."

"Diamond is an ass," Kahili muttered as she and Niko walked off of the battlefield and indoors again. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

"It's fine, I've met worse."

"I can't imagine anyone being worse than Diamond."

"Ghetsis in Unova."

"You've met him?" Kahili asked with awe.

"Yes, I have."

"…okay, you might have a point. Either way, I'm sorry. You said you were doing the Island Challenge?"

"Yes, my girlfriend and I."

"How far have you gotten?"

"We're on our way to challenge Olivia," Niko said.

"Ah, Olivia. What an…interesting woman. Rock type user, too. Well, if you'd like, I have something you and your girlfriend might find useful. Come with me," she said, motioning Niko into a room next to the living room they had met in. It was small and cozy, akin to a study of sorts. Kahili then opened up a gem-adorned box with several light-blue Z-crystals. Each had a pair of wings on them. Kahili grabbed two and held them in her hand. "Two Flyinium Z-crystals. There is no flying type trial in Alola—yet—and so I as the premier flying type specialist in the region, I was given a supply of them from the Alola League Champion. Here, you can use Supersonic Skystrike as well, as can your girlfriend."

"Why are you giving me these?" Niko asked.

"Because I've learned in my days as a trainer how difficult it can be sometimes. Also, growing up around men like Diamond have taught me to have every possible advantage on my side. That's why I did the Island Challenge—to prove my strength and to also collect Z-crystals to enhance it. I think you're looking for much the same thing, and if you ever want to prove men like Diamond wrong, then this might help you—at least for the time being."

"Well, uh, thanks," Niko said. "I appreciate it."

"No worries. I hope to see you in the Lanakila Conference this winter," Kahili said. "Alola is unique for many reasons, one of them being that we hold our conferences at a different time of the year."

"I hope to make it there, too."

Kahili nodded, "now, let us get you out of here before Mr. Diamond forcibly removes you."

* * *

Charlotte sat on the beach with Noibat. Warren was off playing with his Pokémon in the sand, trying to enjoy the day. Rotomdex was off trying to find ways to impress the guests of Hano Resort.

She sighed. "Today sucked, Noibat," Charlotte said. Noibat looked up and chittered at her. "I'll be fine, if that's what you're asking. I just…I wish Niko was here."

Just then, she saw something land in the sand in front of her. Eying it, she grabbed it and stared at it for a moment.

"It's a Z-crystal," Niko said from behind her. Charlotte looked up to see Niko standing there with a woman in golf attire. "Flyinium-Z, to be exact."

"Niko!" Charlotte said, leaping onto her feet and hugging her boyfriend. "What happened to you!? I was so worried!"

"Nothing happened. I'll tell you about it all later. This is Kahili, a member of the Elite 4," he said. The two exchanged pleasantries before he continued. "How have you been?"

"Oh, miserable. The people here suck, Niko," she said with another sigh. By this time, Warren had re-joined them.

"Well, lucky for you we need to get out of here or else security will force us out," Niko said with a shrug.

"What!?" Charlotte said just as two men in sharp black suits and black sunglasses approached them. "You mean them, right!?"

Niko turned and nodded. "Should we run?"

Charlotte was about to answer when they all heard a loud, high-pitched ringing sound in their ears. Charlotte turned to see the shiny lapras floating near the water's edge. The lapras fired off what looked like water pulse, halting the security guard's advances. It then stared directly at Charlotte and motioned for them to join it by tilting its head.

"It wants us…to join it?" Niko asked.

"Looks like it," Kahili said. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Niko. Best of luck against Olivia."

"Thanks, Kahili," Niko replied. "Let's go, then," they all ran over to the Lapras, past awed tourists of the Hano Grand Resort, and boarded the lapras. "By the way, this one looks different."

"It's shiny," Charlotte said, "just like your Rampardos."

Niko nodded in understanding. Lapras then began swimming along the edge of the beach. Charlotte basked in the expressions of the onlookers, particularly the faces of those who had argued with her previously. As she passed by them, she gave a quick wink to them before petting Lapras' neck.

"Thanks, by the way. You didn't have to do this."

Lapras nodded, and simply continued on.

By sunset, the three of them—plus Lapras—made it to the shore, just north of the entrance to Hano Resort, and essentially where the three of them had been earlier that day. The trio jumped off of the Transport Pokémon, ready to say farewell to it. But as Niko and Warren began to turn and walk away, they noticed Charlotte was staying behind.

"Charlotte?" Niko asked, turning around.

"I want to catch it," Charlotte said, turning and looking at Niko. "And I think it wants to join us, too."

"What makes you say that?" Warren wondered.

"Well, it helped us," Charlotte said, "it clearly liked us enough. Lapras," she said, turning back to address the Transport Pokémon, "would you like to join me on my adventures?"

Lapras simply nodded in a sagely fashion. Charlotte then pulled out an ordinary pokéball and held it in her hand. Lapras leaned down and pressed on the button in the middle, and immediately went inside. It wiggled around before eventually clicking, indicating a successful capture.

"Okay, that's crazy," Niko said with a smirk, "you catch a shiny lapras by just holding our your pokéball?"

"Oh, don't act like you haven't done that before! You got a shiny fossil Pokémon!"

"But, that was different," Niko protested, knowing fully well that he was wrong.

"It is not!" Charlotte said, laughing before hugging Niko again. "Let's just keep going, alright?" they began walking before Charlotte stopped all of the sudden. "Wait!" she said, looking around, "where's Rotomdex!?"

" _WHY DIDN'T YOU WAIT FOR ME!?_ " Rotomdex shouted as it whizzed towards them, nearly hitting Warren in the face.

"You seemed to at home with those people," Niko said with a smirk. Charlotte and Warren had told him of Rotomdex's impassioned defense of Mr. Diamond. The pokedex made a angry face, forcing the trio to laugh at its expense.

"To Konikoni City it is, then," Niko said. "By the way, I have to show you how to use that Flyinium-Z. The poses for it are pretty funny."

"I can't wait," Charlotte said, leaning closer to Niko as they walked west, into the sunset.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Long episode. Took a while to set up the battle with Kahili as well as the Lapras capture (which i'm sure some of you might not be sold completely on, but it was the only way I saw Charlotte capturing it-by befriending it). Either way, I hope you enjoyed it!**


	22. The little Bee Fly that could

**Episode 22: The little Bee Fly that could**

Niko sighed heavily. In front of him was an angry Cutiefly who furiously fluttered his wings, emitting an unusually powerful silver wind. The problem was that Niko didn't ask him to. Over the past few days, Niko and Cutiefly haven't been on the best terms. His accidental insult to the Bee Fly Pokémon, before they reached Hano Resort, still lingered over their relationship. This made it difficult for the two of them to train, especially since they were coming up to Olivia's Grand Trial in a few days.

The trio needed to cross through Diglett's Tunnel which, according to Rotomdex, was relatively close to their current location on route 6. After that, it'd be half a day's journey to Konikoni City.

Giving up, Niko walked to where Warren was sitting under a tree. It was a warmer day than usual, which forced the trio to find shade where they could. Warren was writing in his journal when he was interrupted by Niko slumping down next to him.

"Cutiefly?" he asked.

"Yep," Niko replied. "He's not happy with me, for whatever reason," Niko felt Eevee nuzzle his leg. Turning to his side, he rubbed her head affectionately. "Soon we'll start training with you, alright?" Eevee nodded cheerfully, relishing at the idea of finally getting to battle.

Since witnessing her first battle—Charlotte and Aaron—the Evolution Pokémon has found herself fascinated by the idea of them. And then, deciding to jump in and help out Torracat—then a Litten—in the Lush Jungle Trial, she felt more energized than ever to get involved. Niko appreciated that. This Eevee was very much like her father; she had the potential to be a good battler due to her ambition.

Meanwhile, Charlotte was training with her nearly full team of Pokémon. Her other four Pokémon seemed to get along nicely with Lapras. At first, Salandit hissed at the Transport Pokémon, likely recognizing its water abilities and fearing them, but their relationship seemed to have cooled since then. Dartrix enjoyed being able to perch himself atop the alternately-colored Lapras to nap.

However, Charlotte quickly found herself limited in her trainings with Lapras, as the water type preferred to be in water and felt uncomfortable otherwise. Fortunately, there were small ponds where she could rest in, but they were few and far between. Eventually, the two agreed to Lapras being out of water only once per day, either to eat or train.

By the time Charlotte had finished her training, she noticed her companions sitting under the tree. Niko was asleep, and Warren was still writing. Beside him, his Pokémon were sleeping with the exception of Leavanny, who was sewing something. Beside Niko, Eevee and Torracat were sleeping; Trumbeak was sitting up in the tree, presumably keeping watch, and Cutiefly was nowhere to be seen.

"Long day?" Charlotte asked as she looked down at Warren. He looked up, then at Niko, and shrugged.

"Guess so. This feud with Cutiefly doesn't seem to make much sense to him. Probably because the little thing is always so carefree, you know?"

"I get it. Niko always seems to have problems with one Pokémon on his teams. But hey, at least Cutiefly shows emotions that aren't ditzy, right?"

"I suppose so," Warren said, looking around. "Speaking of which, I don't see him. I mean, not that it's easy to anyways, but he doesn't seem to be around here."

Charlotte looked around, squinting as she did so. "Nope, nothing. What the hell happened to him?"

"Should we go look for him?" Warren asked.

"I'll do it. I don't want to accidentally wake Niko and worry him," Charlotte said, noting how close Warren and Niko were—their shoulders were mere inches away from one another. "You two look cute."

"Oh, stop it," Warren said, looking slightly amused, "go off and find that little bug."

"Will do," Charlotte said. She looked at Noibat, Flaaffy, Salandit, and Dartrix, "you four, come on. Noibat, Dartrix, can you look for Cutiefly in the air? Flaaffy, Salandit, team up and look for him in…that direction," Charlotte said, pointing in the direction they had come from. "I'll go this way. If something happens, I do have Lapras, so don't worry. Let's meet back here in an hour, okay?"

Her team of Pokémon nodded, and all split up in different direction—Salandit and Flaaffy to the east, Noibat to the north, Dartrix to the south, and Charlotte to the west.

After she was out of sight, Warren slapped on some sunglasses and also fell asleep, leaning against the tree trunk next to Niko.

* * *

"Cutiefly!" Charlotte shouted out. "Cutiefly, where are you!?" Nothing. Charlotte sighed. The Bee Fly Pokémon was nowhere to be found. Putting her hands on her hips, she looked around at the open road around here. There was a forest to the north that, she believed, led to route 4, and a forest to the south that presumably led to the sea. If Cutiefly were around here, he'd probably be in one of those.

She moved southwards towards the forest, continuing to call out Niko's Pokémon's name, but to no avail. Nothing still.

"Niko's going to be really unhappy…and really worried," she said, grabbing at her hair out of frustration. "AH! CUTIEFLY WHERE ARE YOU!?"

Just as she yelled out, she looked in the distance and saw Cutiefly laying on the ground. He looked exhausted—like he had passed out. Hurriedly, Charlotte dashed over to him, sliding onto her knees and picking up the Bee Fly Pokémon.

"Oh god, Cutiefly!" she said, searching her handbag for something—anything—to help with this. Nothing. Doing a quick scan of any berries nearby that might help, Charlotte found something off in the distance—a quick sprint away from her.

She stood up and began running towards the bush—it looked like a Sitrus Berry bush. However, as she did she felt the ground give way underneath her. She felt herself falling into the ground. Charlotte and Cutiefly landed on cold, hard ground, just underneath the forest they were just in. Now, however, they seemed to be in some sort of tunnel.

"Where are—ow ow OWW!" Charlotte said, letting go of Cutiefly and gripping her leg. "OW!" she felt a rush of pain through her ankle as she tried to move it. "I—I must've sprained it or something. But…" she looked back up at the skylight above her. "We have to get back to Niko and Warren. They won't be able to find us."

Cutiefly weakly got back into the air and fluttered a bit before falling to the ground again.

"You too, huh?" Charlotte asked. "I wonder what happened to you…" she propped herself up against the tunnel wall and, with her other leg, forced herself into a standing position. "Alright, I think I can walk if I don't put a lot of pressure on this ankle. Let's see if there's a way out of this place."

Using the wall to support her, Charlotte walked through the tunnel, hoping to find something to get her back up to the surface. While she did, Cutiefly sat in her pocket, near the belt she wore with her mostly empty pokéballs and the single fast ball dedicated to Salandit. They kept walking until they found a larger chamber at the end of the tunnel. Inside of it was collection of used, but likely abandoned, construction equipment.

"What the-?" she said curiously. "This must be Diglett's Tunnel!" she said in awe. "Cutiefly! We were on our way here! May-maybe we can find someone to go get Niko and Warren!"

After searching around, she found no such person. Instead, she saw a small mole-like creature pop out of the ground with two beady-black eyes staring up at her. Three small strains of gold hair poked out of its head.

"That's a diglett!" Charlotte said with awe. "Guess it's some sort of Alolan variant…they don't have hair normally."

Cutiefly stared at it before noticing more of them popping up around. Charlotte quickly realized this, too, especially when they began to circle around them. Their expressions remained emotionless, but the number of them seemed almost threatening.

"Um…Cutiefly…" Charlotte said just as the ground began to vigorously shake around them. Charlotte fell to the ground, and everything went dark.

* * *

Niko took off his sunglasses and quickly realized how harsh the sun was that particular day. Looking around after putting his sunglasses back on, he noticed Dartrix and Noibat sitting on the ground in front of him, looking rather confused. Suddenly, Flaaffy and Salandit came running back, looking almost distraught as they saw him.

"Where's Charlotte?" his immediate question drew concern amongst her Pokémon. Looking above him, Trumbeak was now sleeping, as were Torracat and Eevee beside him. But Cutiefly was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Charlotte. "Warren!" Niko said, grabbing his friend's shoulder and shaking him awake. "Where are Charlotte and Cutiefly?"

"Wha…huh? Oh! Wait…where are they?" Warren said, looking around in a panic. "She went off to find Cutiefly, and—"

"What do you mean find Cutiefly?" Niko demanded to know.

"So, while you were asleep Cutiefly went missing. Charlotte sent her team to go in search of them. I stayed back to, well, watch you, and because she didn't want me standing up to accidentally wake you up."

"Why didn't she wake me up, though? It's my Pokémon!"

"She didn't want to worry you, that's all."

"Well, now I'm worried!" Niko said, quickly getting up. "Which direction did Charlotte go in?" he asked the Pokémon. They all pointed to the west. "Gotcha. Let's go, everyone," he said, hurriedly packing up their things and running off with a large collection of Pokémon.

The group searched for nearly an hour, around every tree and bush they could find. Trumbeak, Tranquill, Dartrix, and Noibat all took to the air to search for the pair, while the rest ran around along the ground. Finding nothing, Niko punched the air out of anger.

"Damn it!" he shouted. "Why didn't she just say something!?"

"Niko, calm down," Warren cautioned, "we'll find them."

"You sure about that?" Niko asked, enraged by his apparent failure. In response, Warren pointed behind him.

"Yeah, I think so."

Eevee and Torracat were peering down into something in the forest to the south of them. When Niko and Warren approached it, they noticed it was a hole, roughly a few feet in diameter, that end down some unknown distance. Torracat looked up and Niko and meowed. He could sense Cutiefly's scent, as well as Charlotte's.

"Of course!" Niko said, slapping his forehead. "You're a cat! This is where they went?"

Torracat nodded. Niko and Warren then returned their Pokémon with the exception of Charlotte's Pokémon and the fliers, managed to make their way down to the bottom of the tunnel. Niko and Warren returned Trumbeak and Tranquil and sent out Torracat and Litleo to continue their search. Moments after walking through the tunnel, they heard—and felt—the ground shake underneath them.

* * *

Charlotte felt something tickling her face, which managed to quickly wake her up. Opening her eyes, she saw Cutiefly trying to wake her up. "That tickles, stop," she said with a weak smile. They seemed to be entirely alone now—the diglett were gone. But she had difficulty moving. With enough energy, she sat up, feeling more stress on her ankle than ever before. With her hands propping her up behind her, she looked at her surroundings.

It was dark, with the occasional flickering lamp, and the only signs of life in the cave were her and Cutiefly—to her knowledge. Just when she was about to get comfortable, she felt the ground quaking underneath her again. This time three moles appeared in unison in front of her. They looked similar to diglett, but instead they had long, wavy gold hair. In a way, it looked quite charming. However, the Pokémon looked as threatening as the diglett before it.

"You must be dugtrio," she said, "we're sorry for stumbling into this cave. I was looking for Cutiefly here and—ow!" she said as the ground underneath her began to shake again, which caused pain to shoot up from her ankle. "We need to get out of here and find our friends. Can you please help us?"

The dugtrio seemed unconvinced. It was as if Charlotte was speaking nonsense or was some sort of intruder to them. She then reached for her belt and pulled off Lapras' pokéball, summoning the Transport Pokémon.

"Use water pulse, Lapras!" Charlotte commanded. Lapras opened her mouth and fired off a pulsating blue orb of pressurized water at dugtrio. In response, the Mole Pokémon dove back into the ground, only to re-appear underneath Lapras and, its golden hair suddenly turning to steel, shot upwards and sent Lapras a foot into the air. Once she landed, Lapras winced before summoning small shards of ice and firing them into the holes. Dugtrio reappeared, looking only slightly hurt, before shaking the ground viciously. Then, it dove back into the ground and used iron head once more (at least, that's what Charlotte believed it was doing), forcing Lapras to collapse onto the ground in defeat. "Geez…that Pokémon is something," Charlotte noted while also recognizing Lapras' lack of battling experience. "Cutiefly, I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to, well, protect us."

Cutiefly looked up at Charlotte, noticing in particular her worried expression, and turned to face the Dugtrio. He then fluttered around, trying to "fake out" the dugtrio before releasing a silver wind from his wings. Dugtrio seemed hardly effected and, in retaliation, dove back into the ground and shot up with iron head. Cutiefly, despite being in an exhausted state, managed to evade the move and grabbed onto the dugtrio to use absorb.

"Go, Cutiefly!" Charlotte cheered. "You can do it!"

Cutiefly grabbed onto the dugtrio and shot down into the ground with it, popping up around the cave as the Mole Pokémon attempted to throw it off. Eventually, it used iron head against a wall, which was enough to injure Cutiefly, causing him to skid down the wall to the cave floor.

"No!" Charlotte said, trying to move but quickly felt the sharp dashes of pain in her ankle. Suddenly, as Cutiefly was on the verge of passing out, they both heard a familiar voice.

"Charlotte! Cutiefly!" Niko shouted, running towards his girlfriend and dropping to the ground. "What happened? What's going on? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Niko," Charlotte said, obviously lying, "but Cutiefly isn't."

Niko turned to his Pokémon, sitting across the room. He signaled to Warren to watch Charlotte while he sprinted off to his Pokémon. He got down a second time to pick up the injured Bee Fly Pokémon. "Hey buddy, I'm here. And I'm sorry…well, for a lot of reasons. I shouldn't have lost sight of you. More importantly, though, I shouldn't have questioned your strength, even for a moment. For something as small as you are, I assumed that you only had so much energy-so much potential—that you had reached your limits. That was my fault, and I promise not to make it again."

Cutiefly looked up at Niko, a faint hint of cheerfulness in his eyes. Suddenly, Niko's Z-ring began to glow.

"Let's beat this dugtrio, shall we?" he asked. Cutiefly, albeit tired, flutter above Niko's right palm as they both stared down the Mole Pokémon. "Hey, dugtrio! If we win, you'll let us through here, alright? If not, we'll kindly leave."

Dugtrio seemed up to the challenge, and nodded, its golden hair moving forwards and then backwards.

"Cutiefly, let's show them that your strength knows no limits!" Niko shouted, removing his palm from under the Bee Fly Pokémon before posing like a blooming flower. Z-energy transferred from his ring to Cutiefly, who not only found himself surrounded by a green aura, but also a white one within the Z-energy. "What?" Niko said, noticing the distinct difference between this moment and the last time he used Bloom Doom with Cutiefly.

"Is Cutiefly…?" Warren asked.

"Bzzzt, looks like it!" Rotomdex shouted excitedly.

Cutiefly didn't get much larger—only growing twice his size—but he certainly looked different. For starters, his head was larger, and his body had grown from that of a bee to something more humanoid in appearance yet retaining his insectoid features. He now sported two legs and arms and was covered in fluffy yellow hair with a white face, hips, and a tuft of hair on his back. His eyes were big with small, brown square specks in the lower half. Over his eyes were white hairs similar to eyelashes. He had two black antennae, and around his neck was a brown scarf with a needle-like projection on the front. Two wings—as large as his body—sprouted from his back.

"Ribombee, the Bee Fly Pokémon!" Rotomdex stated while Ribombee was showering the dugtrio with Bloom Doom, "Bug and fairy type. Rain makes pollen damp, so Ribombee hates rain. When it sees ominous clouds, it finds a hollow in a tree, where it waits stock-still."

"Ribombee!" Niko shouted once Bloom Doom was complete. "Use silver wind!"

Ribombee instead winked at Niko, waiting for dugtrio's move. The Mole Pokémon disappeared into the ground, albeit in a daze from the Z-move. When it re-appeared, Ribombee evaded the oncoming iron head and raised his hands to summon a massive ball of pollen. He thrust it down powerfully on top of the dugtrio's head, knocking it into a daze once more before diving down to use absorb, sucking more of the life energy from his opponent.

"Yeah!" Niko shouted as Ribombee repeated his new move, throwing a purple ball of pollen at dugtrio, this time knocking it out. Excited now, Ribombee fluttered over to Niko, hugging his face. "Oof…thanks, Ribombee, eheh…"

"Niko," Warren said, motioning him over. "Charlotte's really hurt."

"Tell me, what happened?" Niko said, sitting down in front of Charlotte. She told him about everything—the search for Cutiefly, falling into Diglett's Tunnel, and fighting the dugtrio.

"Niko, I'm so sorry!" Charlotte said, "I—I didn't want to make things worse, or to worry you! I—mmm."

Niko pushed his lips away after a few moments. "Don't apologize. I would've done the same thing which, I guess isn't the best idea. Next time, just tell me, alright? We need to all do a better job of looking out for one another, despite how close we might be," he said, addressing Warren and their Pokémon. "And we need to do better with communicating our thoughts and feelings," he specifically looked at Ribombee. "Now, let's get you out of here. Konikoni City shouldn't be too far from here, right?"

"Bzzzt, nope!" Rotomdex said, "I'll go ahead and alert officials in the city."

"Take Trumbeak with you," Niko said sending out the Bugle Beak Pokémon. Both the pokédex and Pokémon nodded, and flew off towards the exit, or what they presumed would be the exit. Niko and Warren then each took one of Charlotte's arms around their shoulder and hoisted her up, holding her legs in their arms and slowly, but surely, carried her out of the cave and towards Konikoni City.

* * *

"So?" Niko asked when he was finally allowed in Charlotte's room at the hospital. "What's the verdict?"

"I can walk on crutches for a couple of days, and after that I should be fine," Charlotte said, noticing the small boot around her foot. "Thanks for helping me out, I appreciated it."

"No need to thank us," Warren said, "we'd do that for you any day. Although…I could definitely use some rest."

"Why? Am I heavy?" Charlotte asked teasingly.

"Not really. Just after a while lifting anything gets exhausting," Niko reasoned, not quite recognizing the teasing nature of his girlfriend's words. "Anyways, let's look for Olivia in the morning, alright? If you can, I mean."

"Of course, I can," Charlotte said with a smile, "I'm just as determined to win this Grand Trial as ever!"

Niko smirked, appreciating the tenacity of his girlfriend. He hadn't seen this sort of determination in a while, and it made him realize how far she's come since even their most recent Grand Trial, which was nearly a month prior.

"As am I," he said.


	23. Evolution

**Episode 23: Evolution**

Konikoni City was more marketplace than city, from Niko's perspective. Despite the neighborhoods in the hills to the north of the downtown area, much of it appeared to be a large marketplace. A port sat in the southernmost end of the city, on the water, with boats of all shapes and sizes lined up along it.

During their first full day in Konikoni City Niko, Charlotte, and Warren spent much of their time touring the place. They looked in the wide variety of shops and stands lining the sidewalks. Charlotte, on her fitted crutches, hobbled alongside her male companions with Noibat fluttering above her. Niko held Eevee in his arms, and Warren was accompanied by Poliwhirl. The three figured that sending out all of their Pokémon wouldn't make much sense, and so they decided one would suffice while they showed their friends the city.

At lunch, near the water, Niko brought up searching for Olivia. "We were told to meet her here. Does she live here, or work?" he asked his friends, neither of whom seemed to know.

"No idea. We only know she's the Kahuna, and that's it," Warren said, apparently deep in thought. "I think we should just ask around and see if we can find her that way."

Niko nodded in response, and the three finished their meal before asking around. The first person they talked to was their waiter, who told them that Olivia ran a jewelry business to the west, near the lighthouse. Thanking him, the three set off in search of this shop. On their way, they noticed a short, dark-skinned girl walking around, seemingly without a care in the world.

"Kaila…?" Niko asked, grabbing the attention of the girl. Kaila looked up, saw the trio, and lit up in excitement.

"Niko! Charlotte! Warren!" she said, running up to hug each of them, albeit with some concern towards Charlotte's new condition. "Are you okay…?" she asked, referencing the crutches.

"Of course. I had a bad fall, that's all," Charlotte said with a friendly smile. "How are you?"

"Great! I beat Olivia a couple days ago!" she said happily.

"Wow, congrats!" Niko said, offering Kaila a high-five. She took it and continued telling her tale.

"Yeah! My Steenee was really helpful! Olivia uses rock type, not sure if you knew that. Charjabug helped out some, too!"

"I'm proud of you, Kaila," Niko said. Since their last encounter at Wela Volcano, their new friend had come a long way. Now, she was ahead of him and Charlotte. "What's next for you?"

"I'm off to Ula'ula tomorrow. That's the next island in the Island Challenge. I think the trial is at Mount Hokulani…which is really high up!"

"Well, you're going to do great I'm sure," Niko said. Kaila reached to pet Eevee, who seemed pleased by the behind-the-eat scratching. "She loves getting scratched there, thanks Kaila."

"No problem! Have you decided what you want Eevee to evolve into? You know she can evolve into eight different Pokémon!"

"I know, but not sure yet. She's still young, I'm not sure evolution is something she's really thought of yet," Niko said, looking down at Eevee, who didn't seem to have a care in the world.

"Kaila, do you know where Olivia is?" Warren asked, "We heard she runs a jewelry shop near the lighthouse."

Kaila nodded. "Yup! That's where I met her. But just so you know, you won't be battling her here. She likes to meet trainers at the Ruins of Life for her Grand Trial. Its maybe a half day's walk from here."

"Thanks. How is the trial?" Charlotte wondered.

"It's not easy. I'm lucky that I was able to win. Her Lycanroc is really tough," Kaila said, looking down at her belt, "Ruffy couldn't handle it, so I had to win with Steenee and Bloom Doom."

"Speaking of which, where is Ruffy?" Niko asked, noticing the distinct absence of the Puppy Pokémon.

"Ruffy has been…acting up recently. He's been biting and growling angrily at my other Pokémon, and nearly bit me when he lashed out after losing to Olivia's Lycanroc. I asked Olivia about it and she just winked at me. I'm worried and confused."

"I'm sure Ruffy is fine. Maybe it's some sort of phase," Niko reassured her.

" _Bzzzt! It is!_ " Rotomdex declared, " _As Rockruff develop, their disposition grows more violent and aggressive. Many trainers find them too much to handle and abandon them_."

"How long does it last?" Niko asked.

" _Until it evolves_ ," Rotomdex stated, which caused Kaila's eyes to light up.

"Ruffy is going to evolve soon?" she asked. Rotomdex nodded, causing her to squeal. "Wow! This is amazing!"

"Now, Kaila," Niko said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "It's fair to be excited, but remember that he's still acting up and does need to be disciplined, right?"

"Right. Niko, I want to battle you!"

"Huh?"

"If Ruffy is close to evolving, I want him to evolve against someone he's familiar with!"

"Well, err, sure!" Niko said. If Olivia uses a Lycanroc as well, it wouldn't hurt to train against something similar to it. "But first I'd like for Charlotte and I to lock in our Grand Trial. Care to join us?"

Kaila nodded enthusiastically, and the four continued towards the jewelry shop near the lighthouse. It was a small, quaint shop sandwiched between an incense store and some sort of tech-related store. A bell rung as Niko and Eevee were the first to enter. He held the door open for Charlotte, and then Warren and Kaila followed.

Looking around, the store looked larger on the inside than it did on the outside. In front of them was a register where Olivia was apparently sleeping. To her left was a set of stairs leading up to some second floor. To their left were a collection of stones in various shapes, sizes, and colors. To their right were stones on display that Niko was well aware of—evolutionary stones.

"Eevee," Niko said while the other three went to "greet" Olivia, "three of these stones will allow you to evolve into something more powerful. That's a Thunder Stone," he said, pointing to the yellow rock with a lightning bolt in it. "You would evolve into Jolteon. You'd get so much faster if you did," next he pointed to the red-orange stone with an ember shape on it. "That's a Fire Stone. You'd evolve into Flareon. And that last one," he said, pointing to the pure blue colored stone, "is a Water Stone. You'd evolve into Vaporeon."

Niko didn't notice any particular reaction to any of the stones, other than Eevee's general interest in them. He also knew that she could evolve if she touched one of them and, to his knowledge, consciously acknowledged her choice to evolve. He personally didn't believe that she was ready to evolve, but it wasn't just his decision to make. Stone evolutions—like all evolutions—required the will of the Pokémon as well. Just like the decision to create life or to end it, this choice was, in every sense of the phrase, a life choice.

Niko left Eevee to stand on the ground and look up at the three stones while he went to talk to Olivia, whom was now awake and already engaging Charlotte, Kaila, and Warren in discussion.

"Oh, Niko!" she shouted happily, "I'm so glad you and Charlotte are ready for the Grand Trial. Kiawe told me about your victories against him, and he said you'll both provide me with a unique challenge. How I know this? Well, he said the same about Kaila and it proved to be true, didn't it?"

"Yes…yes it did," Kaila said with a smile.

"Now, As I'm sure Kaila has already told you, I prefer to hold my Grand Trials at the Ruins of Life. That's where Akala's Island Deity, Tapu Lele, lives. I want to be blessed by the Tapu whenever I encounter a strong challenger. If you would, I'd like to meet you there, say, tomorrow. Does that sound good?"

"Of course, it does," Niko said.

"Perfect. It will allow you to have some time to prepare, as I'm sure you're both wont to do," she said with a wink, revealing her pale blue eyeliner. Just as she was about to speak, she yelled and, in a mad dash to the evolutionary stones, tripped and fell flat on her face.

Niko turned around just as quickly and noticed Eevee standing there among shattered glass. It looks like she had attempted to break into the display case.

"Eevee!" Niko shouted, walking over and crouching down. "Did you do this?"

Eevee, now looking ashamed, nodded. Niko sighed, and rubbed his face in an attempt to calm down.

"I'm sure it was just an accident, Niko," Charlotte said, kindly smiling at the embarrassed Eevee.

"I know it was, too. Eevee…just got excited about evolving, I guess. Was that it? Are you ready to evolve?"

"Ee!" Eevee shouted back at Niko. "Ee! Ee!"

"Well," Niko said, "let's clean this place up first, and then we'll figure evolution out. Sound good?" Eevee nodded happily.

* * *

Niko, Charlotte, Warren, Kaila, and Olivia all sat down around Eevee, who looked at the three evolutions stones before it, as it was clear that the Evolution Pokémon would take one of those routes. For several moments, Eevee looked at Niko, her big brown eyes blinking curiously back at him.

"Well?" Niko asked as he watched Eevee, almost impatiently. "This evolution is _your_ choice, buddy. I support you all the way but, if you want to get stronger _right now_ , you'll have to choose one of those stones. Whichever one feels most natural to you. Otherwise, we can wait for you to evolve into something else."

"You don't have to feel any pressure, either," Charlotte said. Eevee nodded back. Despite Eevee being Niko's Pokémon, Charlotte did feel a certain connection to the tiny foxlike Pokémon, as Charlotte had regularly slept with her during the days and weeks after she hatched from the egg.

Eevee then looked down at the three before her. To her left was the Thunder Stone; to her right was the Water Stone; and right in front of her was the Fire Stone. Niko could tell she was carefully weighing the decision. Despite being very young, Eevee was unusually intelligent. She watched each of Niko's battles, trials, and training sessions carefully, and seemed to understand the nuances of battling more than other Pokémon at her age. At least, this is what Niko believed to be true. Occasionally, he would notice Eevee interacting with some of the other Pokémon after their training, as if wanting to better understand what they did or how they did it. She would specifically engage with Torracat on these matters, and the Fire Cat Pokémon seemed to respond in kind.

It only took a few minutes before Eevee shoved away the Thunder Stone. She didn't want to be a Jolteon. That then left the Water Stone and Fire Stone.

"She's really bent on evolving, isn't she?" Olivia asked.

"This Eevee hatched from an egg my friend JJ gave me," Niko explained. "His Umbreon was supposedly the father, and I've known that particular Umbreon for a long time. It's a strong Pokémon, and I guess he passed his battling spirit to this Eevee, in some way."

"It would seem so," Olivia replied, carefully observing Eevee's actions. "I just find it fascinating that such a young Pokémon is so invested in evolution. Guess that's why they call Eevee the 'Evolution Pokémon.'"

" _Bzzzt, that's not—_ " Rotomdex said before Charlotte shut him up.

Eevee then looked back at Niko and, for a brief moment, their eyes locked. The Evolution Pokémon pushed aside the Fire Stone, and her choice was made.

"Ee!" Eevee said as she placed her front paw on the Water Stone, and began to glow and shimmer. Her body started to change form, now taking the shape of a quadruped with light blue skin and a dark blue marking around its head and a ridge down its back. She now had a split tailfin that could be mistaken for a mermaid's tail. She had a white ruff around her neck, and three fins around her head made of cream-colored webbing.

" _Bzzzt! That's a Vaporeon_!" Rotomdex declared. " _It's known as the Bubble Jet Pokémon and is a water type! Clean, clear waters are its usual habitat. When it's about to be attacked by an invading enemy, it dives into the water to hide_."

"Hey there," Niko said, holding his arms out for Vaporeon. She joyfully leapt into his arms. "I'm proud of you for making a choice. And I think you made the right one—for _you_."

Vaporeon nodded before leaning into Niko.

"Does that mean we can battle now?" Kaila asked her friend and rival. "Oh, and Olivia, is it true that when Rockruff get moody they are ready to evolve?"

"Yes," Olivia answered, clearly with more clarification than when Kaila had last asked her. "I've seen it, not just with my own Lycanroc, but with plenty before that."

"Gotcha. Thanks!" she said, leaping out of her chair and wobbling towards the door—she didn't run, Niko was quick to observe—with her friends following closely behind.

"Niko, Charlotte!" Olivia called out, "I will see both of you at the Ruins of Life tomorrow!"

"See you then, Olivia!" Niko shouted back. They all walked towards the field below the lighthouse, which was perched at the top of a hill overlooking the Alolan sea. "How about we battle here?" he proposed to Kaila, who eagerly nodded. "Vaporeon, how about we give your new evolution a test drive?"

"Vap!" Vaporeon shouted happily, leaping out of Niko's arms (which relieved him, as the Bubble Jet Pokémon was heavier than he had thought) and landing in front of Kaila and, now, Ruffy as well.

"Ruffy, we're going to fight Niko and his Vaporeon, alright?" she said excitedly. Ruffy nodded, looking pumped up as well, but Niko did notice a slight change in his disposition—he looked meaner when he glared at them. It was different from the friendly, playful opponent he had been in the past with Charlotte. Now, Ruffy looked ready to kill.

"Vaporeon, let's see what you can do!" Niko said, turning to Rotomdex, "Does Vaporeon learn any moves upon evolving?"

" _Bzzzt…water gun,_ " Rotomdex answered.

"Vaporeon, water gun!" Niko commanded.

"Block it with rock tomb!" Kaila commanded. Ruffy barked loudly, summoning rock slabs from above him and surrounding himself with them, causing the water gun to be repelled. "Now, throw them at Vaporeon with rock throw!" she shouted.

"Vaporeon, dodge and use tackle!" Niko shouted, lamenting the lack of a useful set of moves for his newly-evolved Pokémon. Maybe he should have trained with Vaporeon more before evolving her? Nevertheless, Vaporeon got in close to Ruffy and tackled him from the side, but not before taking a thunder fang to the neck. Vaporeon crumbled to the ground, sparks flying from her. "Water gun!"

"Rock throw!" Kaila shouted. Ruffy conjured more rocks from the air and piled them on top of Vaporeon before growling at the heap of earth in front of him. He then, unexpectedly, turned to Kaila and ran towards her. "No! Ruffy! What're you doing?" she demanded as she wobbled away from her Pokémon, who ended up biting her leg. "Ow! No, bad Ruffy!"

"Vaporeon, water gun!" Niko shouted when his Pokémon removed herself from the rocks. Vaporeon distracted Ruffy by spraying him with water, only further angering him.

"I guess this is Ruffy's 'phase' coming out," Warren said from the sidelines.

"It looks like…he's pained, almost," Charlotte said. To their right, the sun was setting over the water, bathing the sky and ocean in a mixture of orange and yellow light.

"Vaporeon!" Niko shouted as his Pokémon took another rock throw before Ruffy charged forward to grab the Bubble Jet Pokémon's leg with thunder fang and toss her to the edge of the cliff, behind where Kaila was now sitting in fear. Ruffy slowly approached the near-defeated Vaporeon, who looked more frightened now than determined to continue fighting.

"Ruffy…" Kaila said calmly, attracting her Pokémon's attention, "you're not acting yourself. You haven't for a while, and it's hurting me and everyone around you. Think about what you're doing."

Ruffy barked at Kaila, his fangs releasing electricity.

"Please, Ruffy! Trainers release their Rockruff because of what you're doing! Do you want me to release you? Do you want to leave? Because if you're going to keep doing that, it might be the safest option for me and _all_ of your friends, like Charjabug, Steenee, and Magby! Don't you get it?"

"Kaila…" Niko began.

"No, Niko! He needs to understand," she now slowly stood back up to her full height in an attempt to intimidate her Pokémon, "that I won't put up with it! Even if we've been together for so long. You're my closest Pokémon, Ruffy, and ever since the accident I've looked to you for comfort. You're…my best friend," Kaila admitted, tears running down her cheek. "And I don't want to see you acting like this," she continued after collapsing onto her knees in front of Ruffy. He attempted to bite her, but was intercepted by Vaporeon, who yelped out loud. She surprisingly held it together as Ruffy continued electrocuting her.

"Vaporeon!" Niko called out, running to his Pokémon's aid. "Return," he said, sending her back into her pokéball. "Kaila, are you alright?"

"No, I'm not," Kaila said, sniffling.

Just then, Ruffy turned to look at the sunset, and continued to stare at it. For whatever reason, there was something out there that caught his attention. Eventually, Charlotte and Warren noticed it, and called out to Niko and Kaila, and they noticed it.

A green flash of light off in the distance.

Suddenly, Ruffy began to glow and shimmer, just like Vaporeon before him. Now, Ruffy had orange-gold fur and green eyes, as well as a fluffy mane on his neck. He retained his quadruped stance. His underbelly was white, and four sharp, pointed rocks protruded out of his mane to resemble a stylized sun. The ends of his legs were also white-colored fur. Lastly, his tail was fluffy and also white.

"Wh…what?" Kaila said, her eyes watery. "R-Ruffy? Is that you?"

The new Pokémon nodded and produced a low growl before stepping towards his trainer and nuzzling her face with his mane, clearly disregarding the wet tears.

" _Bzzzt! Wow!_ " Rotomdex exclaimed, " _Kaila, that is a Lycanroc_!"

"It is…?" she asked, looking at Lycanroc. "But, it looks different from Olivia's."

" _That's because, according to my data, there are three known types of Lycanroc forms! The Midday Form, the Midnight Form, and the Dusk Form. Your Rockruff evolved into the third form. It's a strange form of evolution that your Pokémon underwent, as it is only the result of evolving at dusk. It's very rare in Alola for Rockruff to evolve into a Dusk Form Lycanroc. You get the other respective forms when evolving Rockruff during day or night_."

"So…Ruffy is special?" she asked. Rotomdex confirmed this, which seemed to excite the young girl. "I always knew you were!" she said, "Our parents were right, weren't they?"

Lycanroc nodded, continuing to nuzzle Kaila's face.

"Niko, thank you," she eventually said, standing up with the help of her friend. "I think Ruffy and I needed this."

"No problem, Kaila. That's what friends are for!" Niko said, gripping Kaila's shoulder with assurance. "And now you can go on to Ula'ula Island and clear every trial there!"

"Yep! Now with my _super rare_ Lycanroc. Right, Ruffy?" Kaila said.

"Ruff!" Lycanroc proudly barked.

"And we can now go to defeat Olivia in her Grand Trial," Charlotte added with a wink towards Niko.

"Absolutely," Niko said, bringing his girlfriend closer to her as the four of them watched the remainder of the sunset over Akala Island together.


	24. Life

**Episode 24: Life**

The road to the Ruins of Life, as Kaila told them, took roughly half a day's journey. They were positioned along the eastern coast of the bottom chunk of Akala Island. Just outside of Konikoni City the trio arrived at a graveyard along the side of a gradual hill. In front of the dozens of graves were visitors—both people and Pokémon—mourning the losses of loved ones. It reminded Niko of the other graveyard they had visited while in Alola—on Melemele, right before they had met Kaila.

Since their Grand Trial would be later in the day, Niko and Charlotte chose to not train heavily, particularly with Z-moves, as they didn't want to exhaust any of their Pokémon. Now, both of them could use all three of the Z-crystals they had obtained while on Akala Island, since both of them owned a water type. In fact, Lapras and Vaporeon seemed to get along quite well at first, both preferring to train in the sea before lunch. Vaporeon relished at the ability to finally swim freely, diving in and out of the water and doing quick laps around Lapras.

"I guess she made the right choice," Warren said as he watched the two swimming around. "Evolving into Vaporeon, I mean."

"They have a sense for that kind of thing," Niko said, "at least, that's what JJ has told me, since he also raised an Eevee."

The two continued to swim around before Lapras began training, starting off with using water pulse high into the air. Vaporeon's eyes glimmered with awe as she watched the pulsating orb of water burst in the air, sprinkling water down onto her and the sea life underneath.

"Vap!" Vaporeon shouted, turning to Niko, who had watched the entire thing.

"You want to learn water pulse?" he asked. Vaporeon nodded and watched Lapras use the move a second time. "Gotcha. We can do that!"

"Lapras, can you help Vaporeon learn water pulse?" Charlotte asked. She hadn't owned the alternately-colored Lapras for very long, but she knew that her newest Pokémon was highly intelligent and would have no issue trying to tutor another like itself in manipulating water.

The two continued practicing long into their lunchtime. It had been over an hour before Niko and Charlotte had to return them to their pokéballs, so they could continue on to the Ruins of Life.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when the trio finally made it to their destination. Niko and Charlotte immediately recognized it—having been to the Ruins of Conflict on Melemele Island, they sort of had an idea of what to expect. Two statues sat at the front of a clearing that spanned roughly ten yards before leading to an entrance into the mountain behind it. As soon as they arrived in the clearing, Olivia appeared from the entrance with a bright smile and arms open wide.

"You're here!" she shouted in a delighted tone. "How are you two feeling? Ready for your Grand Trial?"

"Of course," Niko said confidently.

"Good. I think this will be fun. As I said last time, Kaila's certainly was. Now, this battle might be a little different from Hala's. It will be conducted in two parts—a double battle, and then a single battle. Does that work with you?" Niko and Charlotte both nodded. "Very well. The battlefield is this way. Follow me," she said, leading the trio to the right of the clearing and through the forest to a large open field next to the sea. It was a brick-lain battlefield with four columns in the corners. On the side opposite the water were a small set of stands—also brick-lain—that Warren immediately walked over to. A referee was already standing on the sidelines near the stands. "Now, who will go first?"

"I will," Niko said, standing by the tradition of taking turns with Charlotte. His girlfriend nodded, side-hugged him, and joined Warren in the stands.

"Perfect!" Olivia said as she and her new opponent each took a stand opposite one another. "Now, with the blessing of Tapu Lele, I will show you your hardest battle yet! Anorith, Lileep, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning two familiar fossil Pokémon to Niko. He remembered Melinda once owning an Anorith.

"Vaporeon, Torracat, I choose you!" Niko said. "Vaporeon, this is your first trial, let's start it off strong! Use water gun on Anorith, and Torracat use fire fang on Lileep!"

"Anorith, block it with metal claw, and Lileep, use ancientpower!" Olivia commanded. The Old Shrimp Pokémon—Anorith—slashed at the jet of water moving towards it, ultimately blocking it with its light gray-colored pincers. This caused Vaporeon to move in closer and, on Niko's command, use water pulse, to which Anorith dodged and retaliated with smack down, firing the golden orb at her and forcing her into the brick-lain battlefield.

Meanwhile, Torracat lunged forward at the other opponent, Lileep. His fangs bared, with flames emitting from them, he nearly landed on his target, but was struck by several rocks being hurled in his direction. Torracat crumbled to the ground, slowly trying to get back up. Lileep then responded by using brine, on Olivia's command. The Sea Lily Pokémon fired out of its pot-like head a gush of salty, slightly warm water at Torracat, launching him backwards and to Niko's feet.

"Torracat, you can do this," Niko said, crouching down. "use double kick," he added calmly.

Torracat slowly got back up, evaded a second brine attack, and charged towards Lileep, his hind paws glowing a bright white color. He lunged forward, as he had done with fire fang, landed, and quickly spun around to kick Lileep's pot-shaped head, causing it to move around like a bobble-head.

"Lileep, use ancientpower!" Olivia shouted. Lileep once again threw a series of rocks at Torracat, who shattered them with double kick before landing a second strike on top of Lileep, forcing it into the ground. In an equal and opposite reaction to Torracat's attack, Lileep's head shot back up, slamming the Fire Cat Pokémon in the stomach and causing him to flip forward, landing behind his opponent. "Now, brine!"

"Vaporeon, block it with water pulse!" Niko shouted. While Torracat and Lileep were battling, Vaporeon and Anorith found themselves, oddly enough, in a similar stalemate. Despite having the advantage, Vaporeon found difficulty in landing her moves accurately. Noticing her friend Torracat in trouble, Vaporeon fired off a quick, albeit weak, water pulse at Lileep, causing it to re-direct the brine and miss its target completely. "Well done!"

"Lileep, ancientpower! Anorith, use smack down!" Olivia commanded. Anorith took advantage of the momentary distraction to strike its opponent, rocketing Vaporeon backwards this time. "And metal claw!" Anorith leapt forward, slashing at Vaporeon in a second consecutive attack, leaving a slash mark on her side. Meanwhile, Lileep struck Torracat with ancientpower. Torracat had difficulty standing back up, trying his best to fire off an ember.

"Torracat!" Niko shouted, "Use double kick!"

"MREOW!" Torracat shouted, charging forward.

"Brine!" Olivia commanded. From its pot-like head, Lileep fired off another burst of salty water at the Fire Cat Pokémon, who charged through it and, spinning around on the ground, kicked Lileep's stem-like structure separating its upper body from its lower body, and quickly followed up with a second kick to the head, this time knocking the entire Pokémon on its side. Just as quickly, however, Torracat also fell.

"Torracat and Lileep are both unable to battle!" the referee declared.

"Anorith, use bug bite!" Olivia commanded.

"Vaporeon, its up to you now! Use water pulse!" Niko shouted. Vaporeon rose back onto her feet and fired off a pulsating orb of water at Anorith, who managed to evade before attempting to move in closer. "Nope! Vaporeon, water gun!"

"Vap!" The Bubble Jet Pokémon shouted before opening her mouth and blasting a gush of water towards Anorith, this time hitting it directly in the face.

"And finish it off with water pulse!" Niko shouted when Anorith landed. Vaporeon, in record time, conjured a water pulse and shot it downwards at Anorith.

"Anorith is unable to battle, Vaporeon is the winner! And the victory in round one goes to Niko from Pallet Town!" the referee declared.

"Return, Anorith. Well done, Niko. I expected as much. Now, for this next battle, you may continue to use one of the Pokémon from this double battle or choose your third—it's up to you."

"Vaporeon, you need some rest," Niko said, returning the Bubble Jet Pokémon. "I also might need you later. Ribombee, I choose you!"

"Hmm, interesting choice. Lycanroc, I choose you!" Olivia shouted, summoning the midday form of the Wolf Pokémon. It looked like Kaila's Lycanroc, only it had gray-colored fur instead of orange. "Accelerock!"

Lycanroc was suddenly surrounded by a white aura and charged towards Ribombee, who quickly managed to dodge, due to his small size.

"Absorb!" Niko shouted. The Bee Fly Pokémon dove towards Lycanroc's mane and grabbed onto it, draining the Wolf Pokémon of its energy. "Now, fairy wind!"

"Rock slide!" Olivia commanded. The Wolf Pokémon's fur began to glow as it threw several rocks at Ribombee. He managed to dodge several of them before accidentally moving to the wrong side and hitting one on accident. Ribombee crashed into the ground before sitting on his hands and knees, slowly breathing.

"Can you keep going?" Niko asked, even though he already knew the answer. Ribombee's wings began to flutter, and he shot into the air and towards Lycanroc, who continued with the onslaught of rock slide. "Dodge them and use fairy wind!"

Ribombee swiftly moved around the oncoming rocks before shooting directly up into the air and viciously fluttering his wings, causing a sparkling wind to emit from them and hit Lycanroc, who winced before leaping into the air to use accelerock, which managed to take Ribombee by surprise and knock him out of the air. The force of the attack caused him to crash into the ground with an unusually loud _thud_ (at least, loud for a Pokémon of his size).

"Ribombee is unable to battle, Lycanroc is the winner!" the referee declared. "Niko will now send out his third and final Pokémon!"

"I'm counting on you, buddy," Niko said, picking out a pokéball. "Vaporeon, I choose you!"

Olivia nodded, confirming the move. "Accelerock!" she shouted.

"Water pulse!" Niko shouted. Vaporeon managed to create the pulsating blue orb, however she didn't fire it off, waiting instead for Lycanroc to quickly strike. It did, and from the side, to which Vaporeon responded by quickly snapping her head to the left and throwing the water pulse to her side. Lycanroc, taken aback by the attack, crumbled to the side, slightly whimpering. "Now, water gun!"

"Lycanroc, block it with rock slide!" Olivia commanded, but her Pokémon was not fast enough this time—Vaporeon managed to break through the rock slide with water gun before charging forward to throw a second water pulse!" Duck and use accelerock!"

Lycanroc slid underneath the path of the water pulse and, getting back onto its feet, quickly charged at Vaporeon, crashing into her and rocketing her across the brick-lain field.

"Now!" Olivia shouted, her Z-ring glowing. "The _true_ power of the rock type!" she performed a series of poses completely unfamiliar to Niko, but he knew that it was, obviously, a Z-move. "Continental Crush!"

Lycanroc leapt into the air, summoning multiple rocks in the process to create what looked like a massive boulder. It then hurled the boulder at Vaporeon, who was struggling to get up.

"VAPOREON!" Niko shouted, watching his Pokémon get crushed by the Z-move. The boulder disappeared and was replaced by Vaporeon sitting on the ground, struggling to get back up. Niko was completely silent—there was one way that he could win, but he was afraid it might not work. _If this attack misses, then it's over. Vaporeon isn't experienced enough to handle a Lycanroc as experienced as this one seems to be_. "Vaporeon," Niko eventually said, his Z-ring glowing. He reached into his pocket and switched out the current occupant of the ring with Waterium-Z—one of the only Z-moves he owned that he hadn't tried out yet.

Vaporeon turned to him and nodded and the two, in synchronization, performed poses that required them to make waves with their arms (or, in the Bubble Jet Pokémon's case, tail), resulting in a transfer of Z-energy between the two. A body of water suddenly appeared via a massive wave that covered the battlefield, and Vaporeon swam directly through it, becoming covered in a light blue torrent of water in the process. She then swam in a circle around Lycanroc, catching her opponent in the resulting vortex. Lycanroc aggressively moved around inside the vortex before crashing onto the ground in front of Vaporeon, who weakly stood above it.

"Stand up, Vaporeon," Niko said, understanding that it must've taken a lot of energy from her to do this. "I know you're tired—just keep going."

Vaporeon nodded as Lycanroc also began to stand up before falling back onto the ground once more, this time in defeat.

"Lycanroc is unable to battle, Vaporeon is the winner!" the referee declared as a relieved Vaporeon also collapsed. "The victory goes to Niko from Pallet Town!"

Niko let out a sigh of relief. Halfway done.

He walked across the field to pick up Vaporeon, holding the still-young Pokémon in his arms. "JJ and Umbreon would be proud of you, buddy," Niko said softly as he returned her to her pokéball. Olivia approached him, Lycanroc at her side, and presented him with a small Z-crystal.

"Niko, this is Rockium-Z. It will allow you to use the Z-move Continental Crush. Also, you have now completed two of the four Grand Trials. I will tell the Kahuna of Ula'ula Island, Nanu, of your arrival soon. Now, Charlotte!" she said, cheerfully turning to the small, brunette woman sitting in the stands. "Are _you_ ready?"

"I sure hope so," Charlotte said as she stood up. This time, Niko embraced her in a full hug.

"You can do it," he whispered to her before moving towards the stands.

Olivia sat on the edge of the stands, healing up her three Pokémon with what looked like some natural herbs and remedies. It only took a few minutes, but the three of them looked and sounded healthier. "Alright, it's no surprise who I'll be using, so Lycanroc will sit back and watch, if that's okay," Charlotte nodded, holding two pokéballs in her hands. "Anorith, Lileep! Let's go!"

"Dartrix, Salandit, I choose you!" Charlotte commanded. "Salandit, use smog! Dartrix, razor leaf!"

Dartrix jumped behind Salandit, firing off a slew of sharp leaves over his partner's head. Meanwhile, Salandit belted out poisonous gas from her mouth and onto the battlefield. Anorith responded with smack down in Dartrix's direction, and Lileep retaliated with brine in an attempt to halt the gas's path. The Old Shrimp Pokémon—Anorith—leapt forward at Salandit and fired off a second smack down after successfully striking at Dartrix. Salandit, unlike her partner, managed to block the attack, only with a brief flame burst before quickly evading.

"Salandit, dragon rage on Anorith! Dartrix, use pluck on Lileep!" Charlotte commanded. The Blade Quill Pokémon shot forward, his beak a light blue color, and struck Lileep's stem before following up with leafage, knocking Lileep's head backwards and causing it to briefly wobble around, again like a bobble-head.

Meanwhile, Anorith and Salandit engaged in an exchange of fire and rock moves, neither managing to successfully land a hit on the other. Anorith attempted to get into close-range combat, but was hit by flame burst, forcing it to crash onto the ground. Salandit then followed up with smog and managed to poison the Old Shrimp Pokémon.

"Anorith, use bug bite! Lileep, brine on Salandit!" Olivia commanded. Before turning to Salandit, Lileep threw an ancientpower in Dartrix's direction, knocking him away before spraying Salandit with a gush of salty water. She collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by the water, that the bug bite from Anorith managed to do more damage, at least more than Charlotte had expected.

"Salandit, keep going! We can do this! Dartrix, razor leaf on Anorith!" she commanded.

"Lileep, brine on Dartrix! Anorith, smack down on Salandit!" Olivia commanded. Dartrix, quickly throwing leaves from under his wing to strike his intended target, didn't bother to pay attention to Lileep, and was hit by the brine and knocked off to the side of the battlefield. Meanwhile, Salandit was hit by smack down—successfully this time—and collapsed in defeat."

"Salandit is unable to battle!" the referee declared.

"Makes sense, I suppose," Warren said softly to Niko, "it was her first real battle, and against a Pokémon with an obvious type advantage to her," Niko only nodded in response. He didn't have much else to say.

"Return, Salandit," Charlotte said, wondering why she chose to use the Toxic Lizard Pokémon in the first place. _Dammit. Maybe I should have went with someone more experienced_ , she thought. "Dartrix, it's up to you now! Use razor leaf!"

Dartrix shot into the air, away from the reach of the two fossil Pokémon, and rained down a flurry of leaves onto Anorith and Lileep. Anorith used metal claw to furiously slash at the leaves, and Lileep managed to use brine to dampen the leaves and render them useless. However, Charlotte and Dartrix had another plan in mind, and she seemed surprised that Olivia didn't see it coming.

"Pluck!" she shouted. Anorith winced as it was stricken from the side by Dartrix's attack, knocking it directly into Lileep and causing both to fall onto the ground. "Now, ominous wind!"

Dartrix flapped his wings furiously, causing a purple, chilling wind to emit from around him. The attack wasn't strong enough to move the fossil Pokémon around, but it clearly seemed to injure them. Before Olivia could command another set of moves, Charlotte and Dartrix used razor leaf again to keep them down, and then pluck to defeat Anorith.

"Anorith is unable to battle!" the referee declared.

"Dartrix, use ominous wind again!" Charlotte shouted, taking full advantage of Lileep's inability to stand back up, she decided the best strategy was to pummel it while it was down.

It worked, and Lileep quickly feel afterwards.

"Lileep is unable to battle, and the victory in the first round goes to Charlotte!" the referee again declared.

"Well done, Dartrix," Charlotte said, holding out her arm for the Blade Quill Pokémon to land on. He was heavy, she felt, but he deserved the praise for defeating two Pokémon in a row like he did. It also meant that she needed more time to train with Salandit.

"Now, Charlotte, are you ready for the second round?" Olivia asked. Charlotte nodded, choosing to keep Dartrix on the field. "Very well. Lycanroc," the Kahuna said to her Pokémon sitting at her feet. The Wolf Pokémon got up and slowly approached the battlefield. Dartrix leapt off of Charlotte's arm and into the air, ready for round two.

"Use razor leaf!" Charlotte commanded.

"Accelerock!" Olivia shouted, and Lycanroc charged forward towards its new opponent, striking Dartrix before he could even throw the sharp leaves. Dartrix crashed onto the brick ground, landing on his back, and Lycanroc leapt backwards and summoning nearly half a dozen rocks out of thin air and fired them, one by one, at the Blade Quill Pokémon. Dartrix reeled from the attack, struggling to get back up. It was clear to him that Lycanroc was on a different level than the previous ones in terms of strength, and he needed to bring out more power to keep up with it.

And he did. He flew high into the air and quickly dispatched a series of leaves from under his wing, throwing them like shurikens at Lycanroc, who dodged once more with accelerock and struck Dartrix a second time. However, Dartrix managed to stay in the air this time, recovering quicker and using leafage on the ground below to halt his descent.

"Ominous wind!" Charlotte commanded, hoping that this might slow down Lycanroc, knowing that it certainly wouldn't push it backwards. Dartrix obeyed, and the two noted that it seemed to do about as much damage as Niko's Ribombee did earlier with his fairy wind attack—not much.

"Stone edge!" Olivia shouted. Lycanroc struck the ground with its front paws, causing light blue points rocks to burst out of the ground in quick succession, eventually hitting Dartrix despite his attempts to dodge. The Blade Quill Pokémon shot high into the air and, trying to regain focus, threw out a razor leaf at Lycanroc, who dodged before throwing rocks high into the air, directly hitting Dartrix and causing him to crash towards the ground.

He collapsed in defeat.

"Dartrix is unable to battle, Lycanroc is the winner!" the referee declared. "Charlotte will now use her third and final Pokémon!"

"Lapras, I choose you!" Charlotte commanded, summoning the Transport Pokémon, who immediately felt uncomfortable on land. "It's okay, this battle won't take very long…I hope," she said, feeling some discomfort as well. Not only was Lapras her final Pokémon, but she also had the disadvantage of not having seen a trial before. At least Salandit had—and had also competed in one. Lapras had not yet.

Despite this, Charlotte still had some confidence in her Pokémon. She knew Lapras, as a species, were particularly strong, and this specific one had more than enough potential to be as well. So, Charlotte began the battle by using ice shard, which was blocked by a quick rock slide, used for defensive purposes, that broke the shards.

"Water pulse!" Charlotte commanded. Lapras fired off a pulsating orb of water, reminiscent of the previous Grand Trial between Niko and Olivia, and struck Lycanroc, who was jumping out of the rock wall it had created for itself. Lycanroc, reeling from the attack, used accelerock to strike Lapras, albeit easily, and knocked the Transport Pokémon backwards.

Charlotte was surprised by this. Not by the power necessarily, but that Lapras moved at all. It was a heavy Pokémon that was moved by something multiple times smaller.

"Use rain dance!" she then shouted, remembering that Lapras knew the move in the first place. Lapras roared out, summoning dark rainclouds above the battlefield and causing droplets to fall from above. Lycanroc didn't seem particularly pleased with this and retaliated with stone edge on Olivia's command. Lapras, now with a slippier landscape, managed to move out of the way on her own—not on Charlotte's command. The trainer smirked as she realized her Pokémon's intellect. "Well done. Let's use water pulse now!"

"Lycanroc, accelerock!" Olivia commanded. Lycanroc at first managed to dodge the water pulse and strike Lapras a second time, but not in time to dodge a second water pulse that knocked the Wolf Pokémon backwards, causing it to slide across the battlefield and slip on its hinds paws, knocking it on its rear. "Stone edge!"

"Use ice shard!" Charlotte shouted. Before Lycanroc could get back onto its feet to perform the move, Lapras summoned small chunks of ice and threw them at her opponent, striking Lycanroc and disrupting its attempt at attacking. Charlotte's Z-ring then began to glow. "Now or never, I guess," she muttered, noting the rain above and around her. "Lapras, let's give this a try!" she shouted, catching her Pokémon's attention by thrusting the Z-ring into the air and nodding. Lapras returned the nod, clearly remembering that they could use this move.

"Guess that's our cue, as well," Olivia said, holding her Z-ring in front of her to reveal Rockium-Z. "Continental Crush!"

"Hydro Vortex!" Charlotte commanded. Using the rain, Lapras collected water around her and directed it towards Lycanroc as it was building the massive boulder required of Continental Crush, and quickly trapped the Wolf Pokémon in it before shooting forward towards it. Just as she struck Lycanroc, the boulder from Continental Crush landed just behind her, missing as Lycanroc lost control while being trapped in the vortex. Once Lapras was finished, she slid towards Charlotte and spun around to survey the damage she had done to her opponent.

Lycanroc simply lay there, wet and defeated.

"Lycanroc is unable to battle, Lapras is the winner!" the referee declared. "The victory goes to Charlotte from Castelia City!"

"Yes!" Charlotte shouted, running up to the Transport Pokémon, nearly slipping in the process. Niko and Warren jumped out of the stands and cautiously ran over to their friend as Olivia presented her with Rockium-Z, just like she had done with Niko previously.

"Well done, Charlotte," Olivia said with a joyous smile. The rain above them had disappeared, revealing the sunset behind Charlotte, and beyond the mountain behind her. "As I told Niko, I will alert the Ula'ula Kahuna of your arrival. He is, well, a little different from Hala and I."

"How so?" Niko asked.

"He is…less enthusiastic, let's say. But he is a strong Kahuna. Certainly, stronger than I am, so be careful," Olivia warned, wagging her finger. "Will you need a ride there?"

"No, I actually would like to ride on Lapras," Charlotte said, "that is, if Niko and Warren were alright with it as well."

Her friends nodded, despite not knowing how far, or how long it would take, to reach Ula'ula Island. Olivia seemed intrigued by this choice but chose not to challenge it.

"Ula'ula is far from Akala Island, but it's certainly a trip a Lapras can make—easily, in fact. There are smaller, uninhabited islands along its path that you can stop on for rest, as it might take a couple of days to get there by Pokémon. Now, as for where you should go, I think Nanu lives in Malie City. It's on the eastern coast of Ula'ula, which as an island is east of here. It's the biggest city on the island, so it'll be hard to miss."

"Thanks for the tip, Olivia," Niko said, shaking the Kahuna's hand. Charlotte and Warren also took turns shaking hands with her before they turned to leave for Konikoni City.

"Wait," Olivia said, stopping them, "it's getting late—need a ride back to the city?"

The trio turned, looked at one another, and nodded. Due to the amount of time it took getting to the Ruins of Life, they wouldn't reach Konikoni City until late in the evening, around the time they would normally be asleep. If Ula'ula Island was as far as Olivia said it was, then they would need not just their rest, but plenty of time in the morning to collect their things and get Lapras ready for the trip.

So, the long day concluded with the trio riding in Olivia's car along the southern edge of Akala Island, towards the sunset in the west.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Apologies for the lack of episodes recently. I've been busy-and distracted-with other things in my life that have made writing, well, more difficult to do. Hopefully this episode makes up for that. I'll try to put out more in the days to come, but no promises yet. Enjoy!**


	25. The invisible connection

**Episode 25: The invisible connection**

As Olivia had told them, the journey to Ula'ula Island took only a couple of days. Niko, Charlotte, and Warren took a different approach to their journey to the third island in Alola—via Pokémon instead of via a boat. Charlotte's Lapras didn't seem to mind ferrying them to Ula'ula. The island was to the southeast of Akala, and there were several smaller, less inhabited islands along the way for the trio—and the Pokémon—to rest.

At the end of their first day, the group stopped on an island hardly big enough for the entire group of Pokémon. Nevertheless, Niko and Charlotte took some time to train. They restricted their Pokémon to using only ranged moves directed out towards the sea, for fear of accidentally hitting one of their teammates. This was relatively easy for the flying types—Trumbeak, Noibat, and Dartrix—who simply performed their moves high in the air.

Noibat was working on learning the move acrobatics and failing spectacularly. Rotomdex suggested the move for the Sound Wave Pokémon, whom Charlotte realized needed to learn something new, as the trials on Ula'ula were expected to be more difficult than the Akala ones. She also focused slightly more on Salandit and Lapras, hoping to possibly find a trainer to challenge while in Malie City as a means of testing her newest Pokémon.

Niko, on the other hand, focused on Ribombee and Vaporeon. The former had difficulty keeping up with Olivia's Lycanroc—in speed and in power—and he wanted to not only match that but improve on it as well. So, while they were on their way to Ula'ula Island, Niko would have the Bee Fly Pokémon perform speed exercises, usually around Lapras while on the water or around the island they were stopping at along the way.

Warren was taking notes on a lot of this. In particular, he noticed a slight difference in how Niko and Charlotte battled against Olivia. At least, to him it felt different. There, both had won with relatively inexperienced Pokémon (against a Kahuna, of all people), and noticed a pattern with that, particularly as it related to Charlotte. Two of her three trials were won based on Flaaffy, very much a new Pokémon at the time, and her Grand Trial was won by Lapras, with whom she hadn't trained with a lot, either.

It made him wonder whether it was more due to Charlotte's improvement as a trainer, or the Pokémon's inherent abilities? They all knew Flaaffy was unusually strong compared to others in his species, and that Lapras was naturally strong as a species, but was that the entire story? The more he considered this as a theory, the more he wondered how often it had happened with Niko. In Unova, he certainly had a moment like this, with his Tynamo taking down a Gym Leader's ace without any training whatsoever. His Trumbeak—as a Pikipek—defeated Hala's ace Pokémon as well. While Niko was indeed an experienced trainer on his own, at least one of those cases could be almost entirely attributed to his skill as a trainer than to the Pokémon itself.

More importantly, and this is where Warren ultimately confused himself: was there a possible "invisible connection" between humans and Pokémon that strengthened them? Surely there had to have been, as it's long been thought that wild Pokémon were not as strong as their counterparts owned by a trainer. But why? Besides training, was there another factor at play? He pondered this—and other things—while they floated along the Alolan sea towards Malie City.

* * *

"Cousins!" a familiar voice shouted as Lapras and the trio approached a port in Malie City. Professor Kukui stood on one of the many concrete decks protruding from the port. "And _wow_! What a Pokémon you've got there! A different colored _Lapras_!"

"Thanks, Professor," Charlotte said as she dismounted her Pokémon, "it's mine!"

"Lucky catch, dude! By the way, congrats on clearing the Akala trials! Are you ready for Ula'ula's?"

"Absolutely," Niko said, "where do we begin?"

"Wherever you want, cousin! Trials don't have to be completed in a specific order, but it does help to have an idea of where you want to go first. C'mon, I want to introduce you three to Nanu. He's the Kahuna of Ula'ula Island."

Kukui led them away from the port and towards the city proper. Niko and his friends hadn't seen a city quite like this in some time. It was a large city, to be sure, and possibly the largest they had seen since Hau'oli City on Melemele Island. However, the architecture was oddly familiar to him, but in a different way. It reminded him of the Johto region, specifically Ecruteak City.

Professor Kukui seemed to notice this as well. "Niko, you've been to Johto, right? Did you know much of Malie City is based on Johto architecture?"

"I didn't, but it's not hard to see," Niko said in awe.

"It's beautiful," Charlotte said as she stopped briefly to admire a pagoda-style apartment building. "I didn't know you could design buildings like that!"

"Then you'd really like the Johto region," Niko mentioned as he put his arm around her and pulled her along. "We should go sometime."

"I'd like that a lot," she said, continuing to look at the different buildings. The shops along the streets even looked different. The food carts lining sidewalks were made of bamboo and styled similarly to the buildings.

"So how have you been, Professor?" Warren asked, stepping ahead to keep up with Kukui.

"Been fine, cousin. Busy, but doing well. And you?" Kukui asked, tilting his head to the right, staring directly at Warren through his tinted glasses.

"I've been alright," Warren said, "just a lot on my mind."

"Yeah? I hear ya. The burdens of youth, as people far smarter than I might say," Kukui said with a laugh. "But really, now—something got ya down?"

"Nothing in particular. I've just got a lot to think about—with myself and with those two," he said in obvious reference to Niko and Charlotte, walking behind them.

"Ah, problem with being a third wheel? I never seemed to have a problem with that when I was your age."

"No, no! It's not that," Warren said, "we've been friends for a while now, we're all very comfortable with each other."

Kukui smirked, indicating to Warren that he was merely joking. "I know. If you need someone to talk to, you've got me. But I suggest you start with your friends, especially considering you three are so close."

Warren nodded. He knew all of this already. But his problem seemed to evolve more into a question of how to explain what was on his mind, rather than the mere concept of it. This was true for both his future career options, as well as his theories on the "invisible connection" between people and Pokémon.

"Actually," Warren said as Kukui stopped at the front of a gate leading into a massive garden, "I do have something I wanted to ask you."

"Let's talk about it in a bit, Warren," Kukui said when they approached a large arched gateway, "I'd like you three to check this place out—it's Malie Garden."

Niko, Charlotte, and Warren all stepped forward to view the sight before their eyes. It was a large pond with arched wooden bridges connecting several smaller landmasses to the outer part of the garden. The bridge directly in front of them was adorned with golden statues on each corner of the bridge and was gold-plated. In the far-left corner was a small tower that again reminded Niko of the Johto region.

"This is incredible," Niko said in awe.

"Yup! I like to take Island Challengers here to catch a glimpse of it, especially if they're not from Alola. It's a place to come and relax; to calm down and reflect on life or the world around us. I figured you three might appreciate having the opportunity to do so," Kukui paused for a moment, "I'm sure you'll need it for the trials ahead."

"Olivia mentioned that they're pretty difficult," Niko said.

"Well, there's a reason why the Island Challenge takes a certain path through the islands, cousin. They get progressively more difficult. So, yeah, Ula'ula's trials are more difficult than Akala's and Melemele's, but not necessarily more difficult than Poni Island's," Kukui then looked around, as if trying to find someone. As a matter of fact he was, and began eagerly waving towards a brooding figure in all black clothing sitting at a bench under an overhang nearby. "Nanu!"

The man stood up and approached them. His back was hunched slightly, and his facial expression suggested either apathy or exhaustion—or both. He was of medium height, only slightly shorter than Warren. His hair was gray, and he had red eyes and thick eyebrows. He wore a burgundy shirt with a black jacket that had two yellow emblems on each side that looked like police badges. His pants and sandals were also black. Lastly, he wore a necklace with a black crystal on it—presumably a Z-crystal of sorts.

"Ah, hey Kukui. You're late," Nanu said in a bored tone. "These the kids you wanted to introduce me to?"

"Yes! Nanu, meet Niko, Charlotte, and Warren. Niko is from the Kanto region, and Charlotte and Warren are from Unova."

"Ah. Kanto, eh? We knew a guy from Kanto. Ash, wasn't it? Interesting kid. Very lively."

"I've met him as well," Niko said with a smile, "pleased to meet you."

"Hey. And all three of you are challengers?"

"Nope, just Niko and I," Charlotte said as she reached her hand out as well. Nanu glared at her and returned the handshake.

"Very well. I'll be brief, as I have somewhere to be soon—as do you, Kukui," Nanu said, briefly turning his eyes to the Professor, "Ula'ula has two required trials—Mount Hokulani and the Megamart. Clear those two, and you can face me…or whatever."

"Which one would you suggest we go to first?" Niko asked.

"Hokulani. It's that mountain right there," Nanu said, pointing to the west. Niko and his friends turned to see a massive mountain sitting off in the distance. Even further was another, snow-capped and taller, mountain. "The other one is Lanakila. That's where the Alola League is based."

"So, we'll be coming back here when we've clear the trials?" Charlotte asked for confirmation.

"Yeah, guess so. If you make it that far," Nanu said, his tone more serious. "Kukui, we need to leave now."

"Gotcha. Enjoy the garden, cousins! I'll catch ya later—maybe a Mount Hokulani!" Kukui said, waving in a friendly manner as he and Nanu crossed through the arched gateway and out of Malie Garden. Within a minute they were out of sight. Afterwards, Niko looked around for a bench to sit down at. Finding one near where Nanu was sitting previously, he led Charlotte and Warren over to it, and the three sat there for several minutes in silence.

"So, what'd you think of Nanu?" Niko asked his girlfriend.

"He seems out of it," Charlotte said, looking more confused than anything, "like…that he doesn't even want to be a Kahuna."

"Kahunas are chosen by the Island Deity, right?" Warren asked, to nods from his friends, "well, then there had to have been something of note, right? Something that made him particularly suited for the job."

"Possibly," Niko said. He didn't know what to think of Nanu. He knew that Olivia was certainly correct—Nanu was not an enthusiastic person by any stretch of the imagination. But what was it about him that made him formidable if he was disinterested in being a Kahuna? Was he even a strong trainer to begin with? "I now wonder what makes Kahunas worthy of being chosen. Hala I can understand—he's basically the authority in Iki Town, where Tapu Koko lives. Olivia also seems to make sense, in a way. But Nanu?"

"Either way, we should begin planning out trip to Mount Hokulani, right?" Warren asked the other two. "It'll certainly be a trek there."

" _Bzzzt_!" Rotomdex began in a whizzing sound—the first real sound it had made that entire day, " _There are buses that take travelers and tourists up to the top of the mountain_!"

"Oh, great," Niko said, "when do those generally leave?"

" _Bzzzt…the schedule I'm looking up in my files says every few hours or so. It takes some time to arrive at the top, and there aren't a lot of busses to begin with_."

"Then let's spend some time here in the city?" Niko suggested. "I'd like to check out more of this place. Rotomdex, what's there to do in Malie City?"

" _Niko, you'd find the library fascinating. It had hundreds of published books and articles on the Alola region. There's also a famous malasada shop, a salon, a recycling plant, an apparel shop…_ "

"I'd like to check out the apparel shop," Charlotte said, looking down at her clothes, "I think it's time I changed my wardrobe a bit, don't you think?"

"You look fine in whatever, Charlotte," Niko said, being entirely sincere in his comment. Charlotte thought so, too, even though it wasn't much of an answer to begin with. "Would you like me to go with you?"

"If you want. I know you'd like to visit the library. I do think we should check out that malasada shop together, if we can."

Niko and Warren both agreed and stood up to leave Malie Garden. As they did and turned onto one of the main streets in the city, they noticed a trio of young men and a woman tipping over a food cart made of bamboo. The owner—a frail old man who was understandably upset—began berating them in a loud and shrill voice, but the three delinquents seemed unfazed. Meanwhile, much of the nearby block, full of people, all stopped and stared. Some of them even whispered amongst one another, mentioning something about a "Team Skull."

"What's Team Skull?" Charlotte asked a nearby middle-aged woman.

"You've never heard of Team Skull?" she asked. When Charlotte shook her head in response, the woman continued. "They used to be a group of delinquent Island Challengers who banded together to get revenge on the Kahunas, or whatever. They steal Pokémon from people, and only seem to want to cause trouble in Alola. However, a long time ago they disbanded. Not sure why they're back at it, but those three definitely look the part."

Upon a closer look, Niko and his friends noticed the young Team Skull members wearing caps with skulls on them, black shirts with white skulls; the two men wore baggy black shorts and the woman wore incredibly short white pants. He briefly looked at Charlotte and Warren, both of whom nodded—might as well do something about it.

"Hey!" Niko shouted from across the street, failing to get the attention of Team Skull. He shouted a second time—this time closer—and caught the attention of all three.

"What do you want, kid?" one of the men said, "Buzz off, this food is ours."

"No, it's not," Charlotte said with only mild surprise, "you have to pay for it!"

"We totally don't if we don't have to!" the other man said. "And you can't make us!"

 _These three are pathetic_ , Niko thought. Here he was, someone who had challenged men like Ghetsis and Hunter J, now dealing with three delinquent young adults. Not that he was upset by it, just that he found it amusing. "I think we can," he said as he withdrew a pokéball. "Ribombee!" he shouted, throwing a pokéball into the air and summoning the Bee Fly Pokémon.

"Salandit!" Charlotte commanded, also summoning a Pokémon of her own.

"Poliwhirl!" Warren shouted. The Team Skull members each threw out a Pokémon of their own—a Rattata, Salandit, and something that looked similar to a Grimer—in response. "Use ice punch on the slimy one!"

"It's a _Grimer_ you moron!" one of the men spat back defensively.

" _He's right_ ," Rotomdex added, showing a picture of the Pokémon. " _Grimer, the Sludge Pokémon. Poison and dark type. Brought to Alola to solve the garbage problem, Grimer seems to relish any and all kinds of trash_."

"Apparently some Team Skulls wannabes are among them," Niko said, "Ribombee, use pollen puff on rattata!"

"Salandit, dragon rage!" Charlotte shouted as the three grunts—now furious with Niko's quip—ordered attacks of their own.

The battle didn't last long—each of Niko's and his friend's Pokémon took down their respective targets with only a couple of moves. Finally accepting defeat, the trio of Team Skulls grunts began to turn away in a huff when Niko began speaking to them, this time in a kinder tone.

"Isn't Team Skull disbanded?" Niko asked curiously.

"They were. But we're under new leadership," the female explained with a shrug. "It was only recent, and we had friends who were part of Team Skull and loved it. We—" she pointed to her two male friends, "were pretty young last time around, and couldn't really join yet. But when they disbanded we tried to put something back together. Eventually, someone discovered us and helped us build up a new Team Skull."

"Well, either way—stealing isn't okay in any circumstance."

"It is when you can justify it," one of the men said. "People are struggling in Alola. You might not see it here, on this street, but we have. In the slums of Malie City and Po Town, Alolans are hurting. We're some of those people, and we need to find ways to survive."

"There are ways to go about that without stealing, though," Niko said.

"No there's not!" the same man said, startling Niko. "You wouldn't understand it. You're some Island Challenger."

With that, the three members turned and left, their shoulders all slightly slumped. Niko and his friends continued to stay in the middle of the street as the onlookers cheered them. Niko didn't exactly know what to think. What did that guy mean? Was Alola in a crisis that they didn't know about? Was he finding himself getting sucked into another skirmish with some villainous team that he was so wont to do? He truly had no idea.

* * *

The trio spent the rest of their day visiting the sites in Malie City. At first, they decided to split up—Warren went with Niko to the library while Charlotte took her Pokémon to an apparel shop.

Niko found the contents of the library as fascinating—just as Rotomdex predicted. He spent time casually reading passages from a variety of books on Alolan history and mythology. Specifically, he found himself engrossed in a book on this thing called "Ultra Space," where Pokémon alien to us have visited Alola via wormholes on multiple occasions in the region's history. There was a picture of a small creature—called an "Ultra Beast"—that was a few shades of purple and had a pin-like spike sitting atop its head. Niko found it oddly adorable.

Meanwhile, Warren was reading books dealing with the spiritual connection between people and Pokémon—choosing to rent a couple of them for their stay in Malie City. Hopefully they could answer the question he was looking for.

Over an hour later, they walked outside of the library to see Charlotte standing there waiting for them. She was wearing different clothes—now her shorts were forest green and her shirt was sky blue. She got a new pair of sandals that were also forest green.

"You look great, Charlotte," Niko said with a sincere smile. She thanked him, and the trio made their way to the malasada shop to try the local island flavor. Sending out Noibat—who loves malasadas—the trio and a few of their Pokémon sat outside near the water, gazing out onto the seascape and exchanging stories about their respective adventures in Malie City. When they had finished, Niko and Charlotte noticed Warren was particularly silent.

"Warren?" Charlotte asked, catching her friend's attention. "You alright?"

"Oh, yeah," Warren replied with a smile. "Just reading."

"What about?"

"This idea of a spiritual connection between people and Pokémon. That's all."

"Sounds interesting. Any reason why?" she continued to inquire. Warren then sighed and explained his seemingly confused ideas about the different strengths of her and Niko's Pokémon, and his theory of an "invisible connection." Niko and Charlotte seemed interested in this but didn't say much on the topic when Warren had finished.

"That's sort of like how I react to mega stones, right?" Niko finally replied after a few minutes of mulling it over. "It's a special connection that I have with my Pokémon. "And you're saying Charlotte has it too?"

"I'm saying all trainers have it," Warren said. "Like, why did Vaporeon and Lapras do so well against Olivia? It wasn't just their strength, right? Of course, that was part of it, but there had to be another factor involved."

"Maybe trust?" Charlotte added. "Lapras clearly trusts me—enough to stand out of water for what was going to be a tough battle. Most Pokémon wouldn't do that. Same with Flaaffy—he's a cloned Pokémon and he's sticking around with me as well. As for Niko, he was literally the first thing Vaporeon saw when she hatched from an egg—that's a special connection, too."

Warren nodded. Everything Charlotte was saying made complete sense. Maybe there wasn't an "invisible connection" after all. Maybe, if there was one at all, it was based entirely on love and trust—in the same way parents feel about their children and vice versa, or a mentor and their mentee. He certainly felt a level of affection and trust towards his Pokémon—in varying degrees, but not very far off from one another.

"So…I'm reading all of this for nothing, I guess," Warren said, closing the book. He didn't seem upset, but he certainly had a revelation. Charlotte was the only one at the time who realized it, but she chose to keep that to herself.

"Did you at least enjoy reading it?" Niko asked.

"Yeah," Warren replied, "I really did."


	26. The road to Mount Hokulani

**Episode 26: The road to Mount Hokulani**

"Kukui, Nanu," a young man said as he sat took a seat at the end of a long conference table. "Glad you could join us. I think we can begin."

"Champion Hau. So, have you contacted the other regions yet?" Kukui asked the head the table.

"Yeah, I put out a word to Cynthia in Sinnoh, since this might directly affect her the most. But the others have been notified as well," Hau said, leaning back and placing his hands over his head. "Look, I'm not quite sure what we can do at this point. Our intel has more holes than a Koffing. We're not sure who's behind this ring yet."

"So, you called us to Ula'ula for…nothing?" A short woman with a purple bonnet and long, black hair said.

"I want some other opinions relating to the options we currently have, Hapu," Hau said, slightly annoyed. "For example, do we think that Team Skull or someone from the Aether Foundation might be behind the attacks?"

"The attacks in another region? Not that I'm aware of," Hapu replied. "Look, if we don't have anything to go off, why are we even having this meeting?" she stood up. "Please consider that some of us are incredibly busy, Hau. You of all people should know this. See ya later," Hapu began to leave when another voice chimed in.

"There was an attack near Po Town last week," Nanu said in his characteristically apathetic tone, stopping Hapu. "I'm not sure if that's related, but it's worth looking into."

"Please, if you could lead a team there, it would be much appreciated," Hau said, motioning diplomatically to the Kahuna of Ula'ula Island. "And actually Hapu, I do have something for you, since it is Poni Island that I am concerned with."

"Yes…?" Hapu said, turning to face the Alola Champion.

"I need you to go to the Altar of the Sunne. Tell me if there is anything noticeably different there. Once I hear back from Cynthia in Sinnoh, I might have more to confirm a possible connection, but we'll have to wait. For now, I would like to make sure the sanctuaries for our deities and legends are safe and sound."

Hapu nodded. "Noted."

"And what will you do, grandson?" Hala asked, a wide smirk stretching along his face.

"I would like to visit the Lake of the Sunne, for the same reason I'm sending Hapu to the Altar. Kukui, if you're not busy, I'd appreciate it if you joined me."

"Of course, cousin!" Kukui said excitedly.

"Do you think this will interrupt the planned Lanakila Conference?" Kahili, who was sitting to Hau's left, asked.

"Doubtful, as it doesn't seem to be directly interfering with the Alola region. At it's worst, if we don't contain this threat then we could be looking at an international crisis. That's why Cynthia's intelligence is so crucial to me. This could potentially deal with a Sinnoh myth that we haven't seen in, well, millennia."

"Fair enough. Will we convene once you get this information?" Kahili further inquired.

"Depending on what I hear, yes," Hau then looked out at the group at large, composed of the four Kahunas, the Elite 4, and Professor Kukui. "The trials will be running until the Lanakila Conference as they usually do, and I fully expect to open the conference this year. But I also say that knowing that there might be a small chance that it won't," he paused, "Any further questions?"

There were none.

"This meeting is adjourned."

* * *

"So, when is the bus supposed to show up?" Niko asked as he stood at the exit of Malie City with Charlotte to his left and Warren to his right. Rotomdex floated around them, buzzing quietly.

" _Bzzzt…we just missed it_!"

"Blast it," Niko muttered, "and the next one comes in a couple of hours? How long would it take to just walk to the next one?"

" _A few hours as well. We'd have to travel down Route 10 to the base of the mountain. If I might add, it would be easier to simply walk to the base and wait_."

"I think we should do that, then," Charlotte suggested. Niko and Warren agreed, and the three continued down the road.

It had been a few days since they had arrived in Malie City. During this time, the trio spent their time exploring the city and training in their down time. Niko and Charlotte took full advantage of the practice battlefield provided by the Pokémon Center, occasionally enlisting Warren to help with their training sessions.

Warren, on the other hand, took some time to grow accustomed to the Malie library. He spent most of his time there looking at books on various Pokémon subject fields—breeding, training, even coordinating in contests like Brittany had done. He found it helpful to look through the different ways people and Pokémon could work together to be of service to the world, which is the basis of what Warren wanted to do.

During his visits to the library he noticed a short, purple-haired girl sitting at a nearby table. She was always reading the same book—whatever it was—and not bothering to look up. However, he did find her intriguing.

It was midday when the trio decided to stop under a tree for a couple minutes. It was a warm day in autumn, and the three of them quickly found shade underneath a tree to briefly rest.

"Ula'ula doesn't seem to different from the other islands," Niko said.

" _Ula'ula is one of the most diverse islands in terms of biomes_!" Rotomdex declared, " _There's a desert to the south, two mountains—one that is snow-capped—and a swamp to the northwest_!"

"Oh, I had no idea," Niko said, looking at the road beyond, "in that case I'm excited. I wonder what the upcoming trials will be."

"I wonder, too," Charlotte said. She wondered if her Pokémon would be up for whatever challenge came before them. During their training sessions in Malie City, Lapras and Salandit seemed to be improving, judging based on how they executed their moves as well as how well they performed against Warren's Pokémon. As for the other three—Noibat, Dartrix, and Flaaffy—the only one she found any concern for was Noibat. The Sound Wave Pokémon wasn't showing much improvement in her training, and still didn't seem close to mastering the move acrobatics. Charlotte quietly hoped that she could get a chance to continue training with Noibat when they reached the top of Mount Hokulani.

After a while, the trio continued onwards towards the bus stop at the end of the long, winding road. As they walked along, they noticed an elderly woman looking for something. Curious, Charlotte approached the woman, who had an expression of worry written on her face.

"Are you okay, miss?" she asked. The old woman shook her head, almost frantically looking around for something.

"I…I can't find my Stufful. All of them seem to have disappeared," she said.

"How many of them are there?" Niko inquired.

"Five of them."

"Then let's each go look for a couple. How long ago did they go missing?"

"Not too long ago. I was packing up lunch from our picnic," she said, pointing to a checkered blanket with a basket sitting in the middle, "and the next thing I knew—they were gone! I don't know what to do!"

"It's fine, we'll find them," Niko said, turning to Warren and Charlotte. Tacitly, they agreed to split up—Niko went across the road, Warren searched the road they had just been on, and Charlotte went ahead on the road in the direction of the bus stop.

"Noibat, come on out," Charlotte whispered, summoning the Sound Wave Pokémon, "let's go looking for the missing Stufful. You know what those look like, right?" she asked. Noibat nodded—presumably remembering when Rotomdex showed her a picture of one after Charlotte and Aaron reunited on Akala Island. She walked down the road, with Noibat flying high and ahead of her. The little bat chittered as she looked around at the trees and empty dirt road, looking for the tiny stuffed Pokémon.

 _This reminds me of the time I nearly lost Smeargle…_ Charlotte thought to herself, remembering accidentally falling asleep in a Castelia City park one afternoon. _School had just gotten out, and she was graduating. So, she decided to take Smeargle to a park for the day to relax from the long days of studying prior to the end of the term. After eating more food than usual, she lay back on the soft grass, listening to the light gusts of wind around her._

 _Suddenly, she found herself waking up entirely alone. Last thing she remembered, Smeargle was sitting next to her painting. Where did she go? Sitting up, Charlotte looked around, more frantic than curious, and not seeing the sight of her Painter Pokémon anywhere._ Where is she…? _Charlotte thought at the time. She got up, slinging her messenger bag around her shoulders, and hurriedly walked around the area. After a dozen minutes or so, she failed to find Smeargle. That's when she heard a young child giggling off in the distance, near the pond in the middle of the park, at the bottom of a very gradual decline._

 _"Smeargle?" Charlotte asked, noticing a familiar-looking Pokémon entertaining a small child sitting in her mother's lap. "Smeargle!"_

 _Smeargle turned to Charlotte, waving her long tail in the air, pleasing the child in the process. Charlotte dropped to her knees and hugged the Painter Pokémon tightly._

 _"I'm so sorry I let you out of my sight!" she said, panic still in her tone. "It won't happen again!"_

 _"Your Smeargle is a lovely Pokémon," the mother of the small child said kindly. "He loves seeing new Pokémon, very much like his father."_

 _"Oh, well," Charlotte said nervously, scratching the back of her head and laughing, "glad I could help, then!"_

 _"Now, Caiden, we have to let the nice lady take her Pokémon back, alright?" the mother said to the little boy. Caiden initially looked very upset, but relented, reaching out a palm with which to high-five Smeargle. She returned it and turned to Charlotte, who stood back up and was ready to leave._

 _"Thank you for finding Smeargle," Charlotte said with a still nervous smile. "I really appreciate it."_

 _"Honey, that was all Smeargle. It came to us, actually," the mother said, "Caiden was crying, and I was trying to calm him down, and then Smeargle showed up and began drawing things in midair. Caiden was immediately entranced in it."_

 _Charlotte, now at a loss for words, looked down at Smeargle and smiled. She hadn't had Smeargle for very long, but she never since regretted the choice to capture her._

As soon as Charlotte snapped back to reality, she noticed Noibat caught in a battle with a large, light-brown feathered bird. She believed that it was a Fearow—having seen them on occasion in Unova and Kalos previously. They were locked in a battle above a fruit tree. At the base of the tree was none other than a small Stufful, who looked worried.

Charlotte, noticing that Fearow was distracted, sprinted over to the tree trunk to get Stufful away. "It's okay, I'm here to help you," she said in a kind tone that lacked panic, much unlike her memory of losing Smeargle. "Your owner is worried sick about you."

Stufful eyed Charlotte, and then shook its head.

"Come on, she's _really_ worried!" Charlotte said, this time with more authority. The Stufful still refused to move. Then, suddenly, Noibat crashed into the ground, rolling across the dirt. "Noibat!" Charlotte shouted, getting up and running towards the Sound Wave Pokémon. "Are you alright?"

Noibat looked up at Charlotte and chittered silently before slowly getting back to her feet. Loud sound waves emitted from her large ears—she was using screech—and forcing the Fearow to lose control and crash onto the ground as well. Noibat then opened her wings wide and charged towards her opponent, the wings glowing a bright white color. She collided with Fearow and managed to knock it to the ground. In retaliation, Fearow's beak began to elongate and illuminate in a white color, and it stabbed Noibat's right shoulder, causing the Sound Wave Pokémon to shriek loudly, releasing another screech attack. Fearow, again in response, slashed and clawed at Noibat, eventually knocking her onto her back in the dirt.

Noibat's body was scratched and beaten, and she found it difficult to move. Meanwhile, Charlotte felt paralyzed—she could have sent out another Pokémon to easily defeat the Fearow, but at the same time she felt like this was Noibat's battle. She could win this.

"Noibat, you can do it!" Charlotte shouted, just as she noticed something small moving out of her peripherals and into plain view. Stufful lunged at the Fearow, landing on its back with a powerful kick, forcing the flying type into the ground. In response, Fearow backhanded Stufful with its wing before following up with what looked like a drill peck.

Then Noibat jumped in the way, taking the hit and starting to illuminate a bright white color. Quickly and aggressively, Noibat began to grow into a far larger Pokémon than before. Her ears were still large, but small compared to the rest of her body. She had a mane of white fur sprouting around her neck and upper back; two black wings lined with a dusky purple color and maroon grasping claws. There were teal membrane fans between her ribcage and wings. At full height, she was now roughly as tall as Charlotte.

The evolved Noibat stood up high, seemingly unharmed by Fearow's drill peck. She then leapt high into the air and, with a white, translucent aura about her, quickly shifted around in the air before crashing down on Fearow. She had finally learned acrobatics.

"YES!" Charlotte shouted, pumping a fist. "You did it!"

"Charlotte?" Niko's voice could be heard in the distance. Charlotte turned around to see Niko, Warren, and the old lady quickly approaching with four other Stufful in tow. "Is everything al—oh my god!" he said upon viewing Noibat's evolved state. "Is that…?"

"Yes," Charlotte said with a smile.

" _Bzzzt! That's a Noivern_!" Rotomdex inserted, " _They're also known as the Sound Wave Pokémon and, also like Noibat, are flying and dragon type. These hot-blooded Pokémon attack anything they see with ultrasonic waves that can crush boulders_."

"And she learned acrobatics," Charlotte said with a wink.

Noivern continued to attack Fearow, quickly pummeling it into the ground. When she landed on the ground—albeit clumsily, as she was getting used to her massive wings—she stood over the defeated Pokémon, a mixture of angry and proud.

"Stuffy!" the old lady said, running up to the Stufful Charlotte had found. "I was so worried about you. Thank you, miss!"

"No problem," Charlotte said, "I'm just glad you were able to find your Pokémon."

"And that yours got stronger," Warren said with a smirk. "Hey, Noivern!"

Noivern happily acknowledged Warren before looking eye-to-eye with Charlotte. After a moment, they embraced.

"You did so well. We're going to show the Ula'ula trials that we're not messing around!" she said proudly. Noivern nodded in agreement, her chittering now with a deeper tone to it.

* * *

Nearly half an hour later—and with the help of the old lady's directions—Niko and his friends arrived at the Exeggutor Express bus stop at the base of Mount Hokulani.

"So, Rotomdex," Niko said, "how long until the bus arrives?"

" _Bzzzt…it should be here…right about now_ ," Rotomdex said as they heard a bus slowly move up the road they had just traveled along. " _There it is_!"

"It looks…weird looking," Niko said, noticing the Exeggutor face on the front with an odd-looking smile. On the rear of the bus was some sort of leafy tail—Niko had no idea Exeggutors had tails in the first place.

Nevertheless, they managed to board without any issues, and took the bus up the rather windy road to the top of Mount Hokulani. Along the way, Niko quickly found himself feeling nauseous. In response, Charlotte laid his head on her shoulder and ran her fingers through his hair in a soothing manner, which seemed to calm him down.

When they exited the bus, the trio looked around them. A small collection of buildings seemed to be thrown together to resemble a tiny village. At the far end of the peak—opposite the bus stop—was a large blue-colored building with a satellite on one end and a large domed telescope on the other. Closer to them was a Pokémon Center.

However, that wasn't what immediately caught their attention after their brief survey of the area. It was the view—at sunset.

"Wow…" Charlotte said as she walked past the Pokémon Center towards the edge of the peak, blocked off by a steel rail. "This is…all of Ula'ula Island."

"It's incredible," Niko said. He meant that. It wasn't often that he got to see the world around him from such a high viewpoint. The only thing closest was Mt. Coronet in Sinnoh but even then, he had difficulty seeing the world below, at the peak of the mountain was above cloud level, and Mount Hokulani was just barely at that altitude.

"What a great setting for your next Island Trial," Warren said, throwing his arms around Charlotte and Niko's shoulders.

They couldn't agree more.


	27. Lights out!

**Episode 27: Lights out!**

"The trial is held at Hokulani Observatory," Warren said as he sat back in his chair in the Pokémon Center. "You two feel ready for it?"

Niko and Charlotte looked at one another briefly and nodded. "Yeah, I think so. After our training last night, plus the training in Malie City, I think we've got this under control."

Warren nodded, satisfied. He picked up his soda and drank it while watching Niko and Charlotte. The relationship between the two of them didn't seem to change much since they entered a relationship—it's almost like nothing had changed, other than their growth as individuals. He felt happy for them. _They deserve each other_ , Warren thought to himself. _They have similar goals…I think?_ He paused. What was Charlotte's goal? Niko wanted to be a Pokémon Master, but what did Charlotte actually want to do? That never seemed clear to him. He knew that she wanted to become a stronger trainer, but what was her end game, if there was one at all?

He elected to bring it up to her after the Hokulani Trial. It could possibly open up a conversation that involved him telling her about his future predicaments.

The Hokulani Observatory was close by—the peak of the mountain wasn't very vast to begin with—and so it didn't take the trio long to arrive there. The building itself was large and blue-colored, with a satellite on one end and a domed telescope on the other. Walking through the sliding double doors, they noticed a flurry of engineers working in the lobby, either carrying steel beams through a second set of double doors opposite them or working with electrical wires inside the walls to their left.

Niko and Charlotte approached the front desk to their right. Behind the desk was a young man with spiky black hair. He looked up, smiled, and politely asked what the couple wanted.

"We'd like to challenge the trial here," Niko said. Without question, the man nodded, typing something into his computer, and then looking back up at Niko to nod a second time. "That's it?"

"Yes. Molayne and Sophocles will be out shortly. They're working on some new project of theirs and will be out momentarily."

Almost on cue, the sliding double doors opened up to a pair of men who looked absolutely nothing alike. One of them was a chubby boy of average height with spiked orange hair and brown, beady eyes. He wore a yellow scarf around his neck that resembled a Pikachu's tail. He wore a white T-shirt with a blue overcoat of the same shade as the exterior of the observatory. On his shirt was the design of a video game system Niko recognized from his childhood. He also wore baggy brown pants with green Velcro shoes.

The man standing next to him looked much older. He was as tall as Niko, and as skinny, with yellow and orange hair and thick-rimmed gray glasses. He wore a buttoned shirt with a tie undone around his neck with a gray-colored crystal attached to the tie. Like the boy, he wore a blue coat of the same shade as the observatory, and thin burgundy pants and gray shoes. He looked far more exhausted than his shorter companion, with a five o'clock shadow darkening the bottom of his face.

The taller man approached Niko and Charlotte, reaching his hand out. "Hey! You two must be the trial-goers. I'm Molayne, the head of the Hokulani Observatory and manager of the International Communications System. This is my cousin, Sophocles, who is the Trial Captain here."

"Hi," Sophocles said with tired, shifty eyes. He reached out a plump hand to shake Niko's and Charlotte's. "And you two are?"

"I'm Niko from Pallet Town."

"Charlotte from Castelia City."

"Ah!" Molayne exclaimed. "We've been getting a lot of foreigners recently, haven't we, Soph? First one from the Hoenn region, and then another from Kalos…it's like you guys are invading Alola!"

Niko and Charlotte looked at one another. Melinda and Aaron must've been here.

"Well, we did have that one little girl stop by the other day. She was from Melemele Island," Sophocles said in an attempt at correction.

Molayne nodded. "Indeed. She was a lot of fun to have around. Kaila, I think. Anyways, Sophocles will run you through the trial. It's recommended that you take turns and go into the trial alone. Will that be fine with either of you?"

"Of course," Niko said, "we're used to it," he then turned to Charlotte, as it was her turn to go first in a trial.

"I'll go," she said, stepping forward. Molayne and Sophocles nodded, and took Charlotte through the double doors, leaving Niko and Warren behind in the lobby.

* * *

"So, Sophocles, if you could run Charlotte through the trial we have for her…" Molayne said, "he's sort of new to all of this. I used to be the trial captain here," they walked down a hallway and entered a room at the very end. On the other side of a pair of sliding double doors was a large laboratory with a raised platform in the middle, with three Charjabugs sitting on small, square platforms.

"Sure. Right," Sophocles began as they entered a room, "I have a collection of Charjabugs that need to be fed. They sit on this roller," he said, motioning to the platform, "and I would like for you to use these four buttons to connect the Charjabugs. Each button will rotate four of the squares."

"That's it?"

"Sort of, yeah," Sophocles said. "Now, I'll go turn on the roller and you can begin."

He walked over to the back of the room where a large hand switch was stationed against the wall. As he pulled the lever downwards, everything went black.

"Uh…" Sophocles said, looking around. "This…wasn't supposed to happen."

"So…?" Molayne asked curiously, "What'll you do now, Trial Captain?"

"I don't know, let me think…"

"Wait what was supposed to happen?" Charlotte asked, even though she probably knew that the power going out wasn't exactly it."

"The rollers were supposed to activate, allowing you to press the buttons. I guess I have too much power concentrated in one spot…I got it!" Sophocles said proudly. "We're doing another kind of trial. Molayne, I think you once did something like this."

"I did?" Molayne asked curiously.

"Yes. Charlotte, you're going to be the test subject for an experiment of mine—the Ping Totem Pokémon! What it does is it broadcasts sounds audible only to Pokémon to lure the Totem Pokémon out. I've been working on it for a while now and used to do it to assist in Molayne's trial."

"Alright, so what do I need to do?" Charlotte asked as a flashlight lit up in her face, "Oh…what the hell?"

"Sorry. One second…" Sophocles said as he rummaged through a box of stuff—likely other inventions of his. "Alright! Here we are," he said, holding an oversized radio in one of his hands. "Let's get started! All you'll have to do is listen to the sounds around you. I'll ask you if they sound like the Totem Pokémon. If not, I'll adjust the frequency accordingly. Got it?"

Molayne then gave Charlotte a pair of headphones. "You'll need these for the experiment."

Charlotte nodded in thanks, and placed them on, hearing only white noise. Sophocles then adjusted some knobs on the handheld machine, and amidst scratchy sounds she started to hear something.

"Now Charlotte…do you hear the Totem Pokémon?" Sophocles asked in a slightly demanding tone.

"I…I hear Niko and Warren talking, but I can't hear exactly what they're saying," she said as she pressed the headphones closer to her ears.

"Got-CHAAAA!" Sophocles shouted as Charlotte saw electric sparks fly out of the machine. "Woops…guess I need to fix this too! Anyways, let's continue: Charlotte, can you hear the Totem Pokémon now?"

"Er…no, I hear…Rotomdex…" Charlotte said with a sigh. The talking pokédex was trying to "flirt" with someone, but she couldn't tell who—or what—it was. "I didn't think that machine had any idea what love is."

Sophocles chuckled at this and turned some knobs again. "Now Charlotte, I'll ask you again—do you hear the Totem Pokémon _now_?"

Charlotte pressed the headphones to her again, now hearing a loud buzzing sound. "I…I think so. Is it this weird buzzing noise?"

"Oh… _that_ Totem Pokémon," Sophocles said, his eyes wide. "This'll be fun. You'll also need this," he said, throwing Charlotte the flashlight. She took it, now nervous, as the door behind her burst open to reveal a massive flying beetle in its wake.

Charlotte turned around and screamed as she held the flashlight up to its face. The Totem Pokémon was beetle-like with a large pair of mandibles. Its small orange face had robotic, yellow eyes and was covered in a blue carapace. At the base of each mandible was a large spike and the inside was lined with short spikes. Its body was black and divided into three sections by yellow rings. The last two sections have a yellow spot on each side. On its back was a pair of wide, flat wings that are transparent with blue wing covers.

"Totem Vikavolt…" Sophocles said, "it's been a while."

"A while?" Charlotte said, eyes still wide. She didn't look away from Totem Vikavolt. An orange aura lit up around its body, indicating that it was, indeed, the Totem Pokémon.

"Charlotte, you may use whatever Pokémon you need to defeat this," Sophocles said, "But be aware of the Pokémon it may summon as allies."

"Gotcha," Charlotte said, a pokéball now in one hand and the flashlight in the other. "Noivern, I choose you!" she shouted. As she did this, Niko and Warren peeked in through the doorway. Before Niko could say anything, Charlotte smiled and waved them away. "Everything is fine, I swear!" Niko gave a thumb up and ran back off, Warren trailing him.

Charlotte began by asking Noivern to use acrobatics, to which Vikavolt responded by releasing electric sparks. _Electric type…of course_ , she thought, wanting to facepalm. Noivern cried out as the electricity surged through her upon contact with Totem Vikavolt, causing her to crash into the ground.

"Let's go, Noivern!" Charlotte shouted. The Sound Wave Pokémon slowly got up and emitted a loud screeching sound, which hardly seemed to perturb Vikavolt, who looked like it was charging up energy. "Now, use supersonic!"

Noivern released red rings outwards, causing Vikavolt to spin out of control in confusion. However, in its confusion it created a loud buzzing sound, and one of the Charjabug on the roller leapt off to attack Noivern with a spark attack.

In response, Noivern's wings began to glow and she slapped the Charjabug with it before collapsing onto one knee, struggling to move. She was paralyzed.

"Use screech!" Charlotte commanded. Despite not being able to move very much, Noivern managed to release an ear-splitting sound that, oddly enough, allowed Vikavolt to re-orient itself. Did the screech have a similar frequency to what was used to summon the Totem? "Use wing attack!" Charlotte shouted as soon as Noivern expressed an ability to move. However, Vikavolt was faster, tackling Noivern to the ground and emitting blue sparks from its mandibles. A Charjabug leapt off of the roller and also used spark, ending Noivern's battle.

Charlotte returned the defeated Noivern. "Salandit, I choose you!" she shouted, remembering how Charjabug was also a bug type, and assuming that Vikavolt also shared this attribute. "Use flame burst!"

The Toxic Lizard Pokémon leapt out of her pokéball and immediately fired off a ball of fire at Vikavolt. Upon contact it burst out, with small embers flying everywhere, hitting Charjabug as well. Salandit hissed at Vikavolt before using dragon rage on Charlotte's command. Vikavolt dodged this and dove down, its mandibles opening wide in preparation for what looked like a vice grip move.

"Dodge it!" Charlotte commanded. At the last moment, Salandit leapt into the air and out of the way, somersaulting through the air and landing behind the Totem Pokémon, who crashed into the ground in front of Charlotte. "Now, flame burst!"

Salandit fired off another ball of fire, hitting Vikavolt in the side as it was turning around. Embers flew every which way, lighting up the room around them. The embers flickered briefly before extinguishing moments later. Salandit fired off another flame burst that Vikavolt dodged before charging up electricity. It then released that charged up energy in the form of another spark that looked more powerful than before. Salandit managed to once more dodge the move but looked more exhausted than before.

"You can do this, Salandit," Charlotte said. "I caught you so we could get stronger together! You're a special Pokémon! Only half of your species can evolve!"

Salandit, knowing this, nodded. However, it was clear that she needed the reminder. She hissed again at Vikavolt, who released another spark that Salandit blocked with dragon rage, creating a spectacular explosion in the middle of the laboratory room. Then Salandit leapt through the explosion and grabbed onto Vikavolt's mandibles. In response, the Totem Pokémon used another spark. Salandit hissed out loudly, trying to hold on to her opponent as they dipped and bobbed in the air.

"Use flame burst!" Charlotte commanded loudly. Salandit fired off a final, close-range flame burst that hit Vikavolt directly in the face. It spun out of control and crashed onto the ground, with Salandit on her side, panting heavily. However, at least she was still able to get back up.

"Looks like you've defeated Totem Vikavolt," Sophocles said, his eyebrow raised. "Well done!"

Charlotte, Salandit at her side, turned the flashlight on Sophocles, who covered his eyes before handing her a yellow Z-crystal.

"It's Electrium-Z. You can use Gigavolt Havoc with this," he said. "Now, I need to figure this out. Give me an hour or so, and then send Niko in."

"Gotcha," Charlotte said with a bright smile on her face.

* * *

" _Bzzzt, Vikavolt is a tough Pokémon, Charlotte_!" Rotomdex said, " _It's known as the Stag Beetle Pokémon, and is an electric and bug type. Vikavolt flusters opponents with acrobatic flying maneuvers. This creates an opening for it to deliver an electric beam attack_."

"So, we'll be doing different trials, then?" Niko asked after Charlotte finished.

"Guess so. Sophocles didn't plan to have Vikavolt be the Totem, apparently," Charlotte added. "So, who knows what you'll be facing. Could be Vikavolt, or something entirely different. Also, I think you'll be doing the trial I was supposed to do."

"Gotcha—the one with the Charjabug?" Charlotte nodded. "Sounds fun, although so did yours."

"Oh, it was!" Charlotte said excitedly. "Might be my favorite one so far! Also, I can't wait to try out this Electrium-Z with Flaaffy."

Niko, Warren, and Charlotte continued talking over lunch while they waited for Sophocles to finish fixing his laboratory for Niko's trial. After an hour had passed, they re-entered the Hokulani Observatory to see Molayne standing near the front desk, chatting with the spiky-haired man. When he noticed the trio, he motioned for Niko to follow him.

"Good luck!" Charlotte said, waving to Niko as he walked off with Molayne. She joined Warren on a cushioned bench nearby.

"Hey, Charlotte," Warren said as soon as Niko disappeared behind the double doors. "Can I speak to you about something?"

"Sure, what is it?" Charlotte asked.

* * *

"So…I'll be doing the same thing Charlotte did?" Niko asked.

"Yes. I fried the entire power system for these rollers," Sophocles said with a look of disappointment. "Luckily, we managed to get the power back on, but you'll be fighting Totem Vikavolt again. You may use as many Pokémon as you think are necessary to win. If you don't think you can continue, then we can end the trial and you can do it another time. I forgot to mention that during Charlotte's trial, but it didn't seem to matter in hindsight."

"Gotcha. Now, where is Totem Vikavolt?"

"It's off…somewhere," Sophocles said, "it's a finnicky Pokémon, which is why I tend to use a different Totem Pokémon for this trial. But that one is only summoned by the Charjabug and the roller—for some reason. So, when the power went out, the only thing that I could think of was to summon Totem Vikavolt. We're going to do that again, however pissed off we might make it."

"Noted," Niko said, holding a pokéball in his hands. He knew exactly who to use for this battle. "What do I have to do?"

Molayne handed him a pair of headphones, "put these on. Sophocles is going to ask you if you can hear the Totem Pokémon and, if you don't, he will adjust the frequency accordingly."

The Trial Captain nodded in agreement, and began asking Niko the same question, over and over, until Niko heard a buzzing sound close by.

"This is it," Niko said with certainty. Suddenly, Vikavolt appeared in the doorway once more, looking frustrated by something. It's characteristic orange aura flared up, and in response Niko threw out a pokéball. "Torracat, I choose you!"

The Fire Cat Pokémon burst out of his pokéball and onto the laboratory floor, growling at Totem Vikavolt. Then, on Niko's command, he fired off small embers at the Stag Beetle Pokémon, who swiftly dodged them and retaliated with a blue spark of electricity. Torracat attempted to dodge but wasn't fast enough, taking the hit and falling on his back.

"MREOW!" he snarled while he got back on his feet, fangs baring.

"Use fire fang!" Niko shouted. Torracat obliged, charging forward before leaping into the air towards Vikavolt. He landed on its mandible, crunching down with sharp, fiery teeth. In response, Vikavolt snapped its two mandibles together in and attempt to shake Torracat off. It succeeded, and then dove down to clamp down on its opponent with the same move. "Knock it off with double kick!" Niko continued, in amazement at how powerful this Totem seemed to be, despite its relative disadvantage to Torracat. _If Torracat were to go down, I don't know who else could pick up the pieces…_ Niko thought to himself. He briefly glanced over his shoulder. Sophocles and Molayne were watching with careful eyes. Niko then turned back to see Torracat kicking at Vikavolt with his hind legs, trying to shake off the Totem, who seemed to aggressively refuse to do so.

Vikavolt then released another series of blue sparks, causing Torracat to wail out in pain. He fell backwards, his fur fried.

"What the…" Niko said in shock. _He fainted so fast…to a bug type…_ "Return, Torracat," Niko said. He was silent for a moment. _No, I have to keep going. That's what Charlotte would have wanted. And I'm not the type of person to quit. Not anymore._ "Trumbeak, I choose you!" he shouted, summoning the Bugle Beak Pokémon. "Use echoed voice!"

Trumbeak opened his elongated beak and created an obnoxiously loud sound. However, it hardly seemed to bother Vikavolt, who looked to be charging up electricity while watching Trumbeak attempt to disturb it.

Vikavolt then charged at Trumbeak in a clear attempt at tackling it in midair. Trumbeak dodged the move and, his beak glowing a bright blue color, poked the Stag Beetle Pokémon in the side with a pluck attack.

"Yes! Now, echoed voice again!" Niko shouted. Trumbeak nodded, crying out louder than before. Vikavolt now seemed slightly perturbed, instinctively releasing a powerful spark attack towards Trumbeak. The Bugle Beak Pokémon took the hit, crying even louder from the surge of electricity coursing through his body. He crashed into the ground, slowly trying to get back up. He did, once more to use pluck. However, Vikavolt took the hit but responded with another spark which brought Trumbeak's battle to an end.

Shocked, Niko returned Trumbeak as well. _All I have are Ribombee and Vaporeon. Neither can do much against this if Torracat and Trumbeak can't. I definitely don't want to put Vaporeon through this…wait!_ He said, slapping his forehead. He forgot Z-moves.

"Niko…?" Molayne asked, "Can you continue?"

 _I want to…but I don't think I can_. "No, I cannot."

Molayne nodded in understanding. However, it was Sophocles that spoke. "No worries, Niko. Let me know when you want to go again. However, it may be a different trial, with a different Totem Pokémon. Is that fine with you?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Niko said. "Thank you both," he said, walking out of the laboratory.

"So…" Sophocles turned to Molayne, " _That's_ the guy Ash was talking about? The winner of the Lumiose Conference?"

Molayne nodded. "Yep. That's definitely him. I think he's better than how he performed today. Way better."

Sophocles turned to the exit. "I sure hope so."


	28. Getting better

**Episode 28: Getting better**

"What's up, Warren?" Charlotte asked. They were sitting down on a bench in the lobby of the Hokulani Observatory. Niko had just left to compete in his trial against Totem Vikavolt.

Warren was silent for what seemed like forever. He was contemplating how to word his feelings. "What do you want to do?" he finally asked, without looking at Charlotte.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, Niko wants to be a Pokémon Master. JJ, for example, wants to be a breeder. What's _your_ goal?"

Charlotte also looked away from Warren, electing to stare at the metal flooring. "You mean my dream?"

"Yeah."

"I want to be a strong trainer. But I don't know where that will take me."

"So, you just want to compete in Pokémon Leagues until you've seen them all?" Warren asked. "Is that it?"

"Why are you asking this? It comes out of nowhere," Charlotte inquired, slightly defensively.

"For a couple reasons. One—I'm just curious, since I don't think you've mentioned much about it. Secondly, I'm having the same problem."

"I guess…this is going to come off as weird, but I want to beat Niko," Charlotte said, looking back up at Warren. "In a Pokémon battle. I want to best him."

Warren blinked for a moment. He did not expect this. "Oh…really?" Charlotte nodded. "Well, what happens after that?"

"I keep going, I guess," Charlotte said, "Niko's far from the strongest trainer in the world. Personally, I don't think he will be for a long time, but that's not because of his strength. There's just always someone better out there. How can you be the best?"

"No idea," Warren said, laying his arms on his knees.

"So, what's your problem?" Charlotte asked.

"I don't know what _I_ want to do," Warren said, almost in a defeated tone.

"Don't you want to be a writer?"

"Well, yes," Warren said, "but is that it? Why am I doing this? Travelling with you two? Don't get me wrong—I love being with you and Niko. It gives my life some meaning. But it's not enough. I also…I miss Sydney. And I want to do right by her, and by my Pokémon, by finding something that will make all of them happy, too."

"Whatever you choose, they'll support you. Just like Niko will. And just like I will," Charlotte said, placing a hand on Warren's shoulder. "Is that what you've been thinking about? Ever since we got to Alola, you've been uncharacteristically silent. You've been troubled by this?"

Warren nodded. "Yup. I…I just feel useless. All I do is write and occasionally battle you and Niko. But I'm only useful in that regard for so long. I need to stake out my own path, whatever that is. And I can't seem to find it."

"Well…what do you like to do, besides write?" Charlotte asked, "I noticed you spent a lot of time at the Malie City Library. Do you like researching?"

"I've found an interest in that, yeah. I like solving problems and finding connections to things."

"So maybe you become a professor!" Charlotte said, "That'd be really cool!"

"I could," Warren said, feeling a little more upbeat now. "But…I want to find ways to include my Pokémon."

"You definitely can as a professor! You'd get to travel a lot, I bet, so you'd be killing what, three birds with one stone? You love to travel, you'd get to bring your Pokémon with you, and you'd be solving problems and answering big questions! Plus, you don't always have to leave, which would make Sydney happier, I bet."

"I think I'd need more education before I do any of that," Warren said, "and plus, I'm a better writer than I am scientist."

"Maybe journalist then? Ooh! Investigative journalist!" Charlotte shouted. "You could do that! You're a great writer, and you could have your Pokémon help you answer questions that way, too!"

"Investigative journalism…" Warren said. He hadn't quite thought of that. Charlotte did have a point. "Interesting. I'll give that more thought, actually. Thanks, Charlotte."

"That's Niko's line," Charlotte said, hugging Warren, "but I'll take it."

As they ended the hug, they saw Niko slowly walk into the lobby, looking as if he had seen a terribly-planned surprise party for his birthday. He looked incredibly confused.

"Niko?" Charlotte asked, getting off of the bench and approaching her boyfriend. "Are you alright?"

"I lost," Niko said, lightly shaking his head.

"How're you taking it?" Warren added.

"I feel fine, actually," Niko said, realizing how light he felt compared to the other times he had lost. "I'm just confused and feeling a little regretful."

"Why is that?" Charlotte asked.

"I didn't use a Z-move. I could have won with Inferno Overdrive," Niko said, explaining the battle with Totem Vikavolt. "Torracat went down unusually easy."

"I'm surprised by that. Salandit didn't seem to have a problem, and she's way less experienced."

"She's also faster than Torracat, I'm sure," Niko added. "She can dodge moves easier."

"What're you going to do now?" Warren wondered.

"I'm going to train. Heal up Torracat and Trumbeak, and just…train," Niko said decisively.

Charlotte leaned upwards and kissed Niko on the cheek. "You're gonna kick ass next time," she said with a sly smirk. Niko returned the gesture with another kiss and nodded.

* * *

Niko spent much of the rest of the day training with Torracat and Trumbeak specifically, but also Ribombee and Vaporeon. If he was going down to the Totem Pokémon again, he planned on using his entire team. In fact, Ribombee and Vaporeon didn't seem to like the idea of Niko not sending them into battle the first time. Vaporeon in particular came off as down right offended. Niko tried to explain his reasoning, but she wasn't having any of it. She wanted to fight if she could.

When it came to Torracat, Niko paid special attention to his evasion training, even jumping side-to-side with him. He would then battle against Warren's Litleo and Leavanny to practice landing his attacks while dodging both ranged and close-combat attacks. Leavanny in particular was helpful in this regard—she shared the bug type with Vikavolt, which made imitating the Totem battle easier. She was also one of Warren's strongest Pokémon, and certainly one of the strongest in their group at the time.

Charlotte even had Niko use Torracat and Trumbeak against her Flaaffy and Salandit, for similar reasons. Sophocles had said that he would likely use a different Totem Pokémon this time, and so Niko wanted to practice against the only electric type they had. Also, Salandit was useful because she was the only one to take down Totem Vikavolt and was adept at evading attacks compared to Torracat. The Fire Cat Pokémon quickly began to understand the Toxic Lizard's movements and managed to land several double kicks on her before their trainers ended the battle.

That evening, Niko walked out to get some fresh air after sitting in the Pokémon Center for a few hours. He also wanted to catch a view of Ula'ula Island—one that he never wanted to stop seeing.

Suddenly, he felt something wrap around his waist. Looking down, he noticed two small hands hugging his stomach.

"Oh, hey," Niko said as Charlotte revealed herself. "What's up?"

"How're you doing?" she asked.

"Better. I don't know what happened earlier. I just…felt off."

"Well, if you ask me, you're handling it better than you used to," she laughed, "better than _I_ used to."

"You responded to a loss the same way most trainers do when they're new," Niko said, pulling her in, "And yeah, I guess I am dealing with it better."

"That's the real sign that you're a better trainer," Charlotte said as they looked down onto the island below.

"What, that I've lost a lot and gotten used to it?"

Charlotte laughed again. "No, silly. That you know _how_ to take a loss. Not that you've taken a lot. I can count on one hand how many times I've seen you lose in an official Pokémon battle. You're _really_ good at this, Niko."

"It's my Pokémon, not just me."

"A Pokémon is only as good as their trainer, and a trainer is only as good as their Pokémon. It's a mutual thing, you know. You grow _together_. Tell me—have you learned new things in every region you've visited? With every team you've trained?"

Niko thought about it before nodding. "Yeah."

"You're a stronger trainer because of that. You've seen more things, and done more things, and learned more things than either I, or Warren, or Kaila have. Or, hell, many of these Trial Captains!"

Niko smiled. "I know. And, look, I'm not upset by this loss. We've both made that clear. All I'm saying is that I'm not perfect."

"You aren't. And you never will be. But you'll always be great."

"When did you get so wise?" Niko asked, partly in a teasing tone. "You're coming up with all of these nice things, and back them up with oddly deep statements."

"I'm learning from watching you. And Warren. And others that we've met," Charlotte said, looking up at Niko. "I look up to you, Niko. In more ways than one."

"Yeah, that's for sure," Niko quipped before feeling a light slap on his stomach. "Hey!"

"Hey yourself," Charlotte said with a smirk. "I'm serious, though."

"I guess the feeling is mutual," Niko said before leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Thanks, Charlotte."

"There we go," Charlotte said, feeling satisfied. Between her and Niko, the feeling was mutual.

* * *

Niko was the first to walk into the lobby of the Hokulani Observatory, followed by Warren and Charlotte. After checking in with the spiky-haired man at the front desk, he and his friends waited for Molayne to show up.

"You're back already?" Molayne asked with a friendly tone. He motioned Niko over, with Rotomdex following close behind, as he had missed both of the trials the previous day. "C'mon, Sophocles has been up all night fixing the trial site."

"Really? He didn't have to do that."

"Soph loves a good problem to solve," Molayne said, "that's why he's in charge of this trial. I'm glad that I chose him."

"So, will there be a different Totem?" Niko asked out of curiosity.

"We believe so. Totem Vikavolt and Soph aren't exactly on the best of terms. That frequency machine of his really irritates Vikavolt, so after a while Soph shut down the trial so he could re-do it, and his first test subject was this woman from Hoenn. Melinda, I think it was. Yeah, and then it malfunctioned for the first time during Charlotte's trial, so we decided to give it another shot with you. Soph thinks he's got the problem fixed this time."

"Lucky me."

"Oh, indeed. It's a fun one. Way more fun than the frequency one. I love Totem Vikavolt, personally, but I think the Totem for this one is unique. Soph also prefers this Totem, also for personal reasons."

Niko nodded as they made their way towards the trial site in the laboratory. Inside, Sophocles was waiting. Upon seeing Niko, he nodded and waved passively before getting back to work.

"How close are you to finishing?" Molayne asked.

"Almost done. Just gotta…connect that…and press that," Sophocles said as he pressed a button on his computer, activating something. Niko heard a whirring sound go off. "Alright, Niko! Welcome to the Hokulani Observatory trial."

"I've explained to him the situation," Molayne said, referencing the brief history lesson Niko received on the way there. Sophocles nodded, and continued.

The Trial Captain gave the same explanation that he had given to Charlotte when she first attempted the trial only the day previous. All Niko had to do in this trial was connect the Charjabug so that they could all feed off of the electricity in the roller. Sophocles also began explaining the science behind it, but Niko interrupted him with a "I'm ready."

"Noted," Sophocles said abruptly before turning to his desktop. "You may begin."

Niko looked at the roller with its nine white tiles with two parallel glass tubes on the top and bottom of the roller platform with electricity moving through them. When Sophocles began the trial, the ends of the tubes opened up slightly, enough for a Charjabug to feed off of it. On top of three of the tiles were three Charjabugs, then positioned in an "L" shape. He shifted them around a few times before understanding how each of the buttons in the four corners of the roller moved—meaning, which buttons moved which tiles.

After a few minutes, he managed to connect them in a straight, horizontal line, which seemed to please Sophocles.

"Well done! Now, let's put them in another straight line, but vertically."

Niko nodded, continuing to move the Charjabugs around. Niko noticed that, while they seemed weirded out by his presence at first, the Charjabugs started to grow more comfortable around him by the time be completed the second puzzle.

"Excellent. Now, a diagonal," Sophocles finally said. Niko paused for a moment while he figured this one out. This took slightly more time, but he eventually figured it out, clicking the necessary buttons.

Now, with the Charjabug in a diagonal formation, electricity moved in a Z-motion. Sophocles and Molayne clapped as something began rumbling above them. Niko felt it too, and looked up to see a massive, rotund rodent-like Pokémon standing on the pipes near the ceiling.

Most of the Totem Pokémon's front was white, while its back was primarily gray. It had black eyes, a short, pointed snout with a black nose, and a circular, yellow marking on each cheek. Scattered across its back were 14 fur spikes that appeared as yellow and brown triangular markings, which this Pokémon extended straight up as it leapt onto the laboratory floor. It had a tail-like needle on the back of its head. The needle was gray with a yellow tip and was shaped like a lightning bolt. Additionally, it had stubby arms and legs.

" _Bzzzt! That's a Togedemaru_!" Rotomdex shouted. " _It's known as the Roly-Poly Pokémon and is an electric and steel type Pokémon. When its surprised or agitated, the 14 fur spikes on its back will stand up voluntarily_!"

"I see that," Niko said. "Hmm…Well, that changes things. Torracat, you're up!" Niko shouted, summoning the Fire Cat Pokémon, just as he did last time. He had hoped to use Ribombee or Trumbeak first, but their moves might not prove to be nearly as effective as Torracat's. Plus, he had faith in the fiery feline. No more than his other Pokémon, but he knew Torracat could win this easily. "You ready, buddy? Round two."

"Mreow…" Torracat said in a low hiss. He crouched low to the ground as the Totem Pokémon cried out in a loud, but squeaky voice. Suddenly, a Skarmory appeared from the pipes above as well.

"Where the hell are these Pokémon coming from?" Niko wondered. "Torracat, let's try and focus on Togedemaru, alright? Use ember!"

Torracat growled before firing off a series of small embers. In response, Togedemaru leapt high into the air, nearly crashing into the ceiling before descending downwards towards the Fire Cat Pokémon. Instinctively, Torracat leapt out of the way before spinning around on his front paws and kicking Togedemaru in the side, causing it to briefly stumble. However, Skarmory dove down to use steel wing and succeeded, slashing at Torracat with a heavy, sharp wing made entirely of steel.

"Torracat, grab onto it with fire fang!" Niko shouted. Torracat nodded, biting down hard onto the red and gray steel wing with his fiery teeth. Skarmory screeched out loudly, emitting a loud metallic sound from its beak. Torracat refused to let go until Totem Togedemaru crashed into both of them with what Niko figured was iron head. Torracat, crunched between the two steel types, roared out, firing off embers at both of them until they moved away, giving him room. "Ember on Skarmory!"

In his rage, Torracat turned to Skarmory and released a powerful jet of fire from his mouth, causing Skarmory to screech loudly and collapse onto the ground, burn marks everywhere. Torracat was ready to charge at it when he felt a massive amount of electricity surge through him. Togedemaru slammed into him by rolling around and covering itself in electricity. Torracat had difficulty getting back up, but eventually did and felt a gust of wind blow around him, originating from Skarmory.

"Torracat," Niko said calmly, "Let's finish this."

The Fire Cat Pokémon nodded, standing straight up. "MREOW!" he shouted before charging, full speed, towards Skarmory. He leapt into the air and, just as Skarmory was about to evade, grabbed onto its wing and used gravity to pull it downwards, all while using fire fang. Once they crashed onto the ground, Torracat quickly got back on his feet, let go of Skarmory's wing, and unleashed a powerful flamethrower, dousing Togedemaru's ally Pokémon.

In retaliation, an infuriated Togedemaru bounced into the air again and prepared to land on Torracat. As it descended, the Totem Pokémon began sparkling with electricity that enveloped its large, round body. Torracat rolled out of the way, remembering having to quickly do so when Charlotte's Flaaffy attempted something similar. He then spun towards Togedemaru and used another flamethrower, to which the Totem turned and blocked with its spiky back.

"NOW!" Niko shouted, the Firium-Z in his Z-ring flaring up. "Let's go, Torracat! Use Inferno Overdrive!"

Torracat's body enveloped in Z-energy as he conjured a powerful ball of fire that exploded around him, engulfing Togedemaru and the roller used for the first part of the trial. Once the smoke cleared from the Z-move, Totem Togedemaru stood there, shaking.

"Finish it off with flamethrower!" Niko commanded, and Torracat listened. Niko sensed that his Pokémon felt lighter…somehow. Maybe it was just him, though.

Totem Togedemaru collapsed, face forward and in response Sophocles and Molayne began to clap.

"Well done, buddy," Niko said, "I knew I was right to have faith in you. And in everyone else. Maybe that was my mistake against Vikavolt, and it won't happen again."

Torracat nodded, likely feeling something similar.

"Niko! That was great!" Molayne said with a satisfied smile.

"Yeah, good job kid," Sophocles said, holding out a yellow Z-crystal. "This is Electrium-Z. You can use Gigavolt Havoc with it. Also, I forgot to show Charlotte the poses for it, but here…" Sophocles said, performing the most unenthusiastic Z-move pose Niko had ever seen. "Please remember that. I hate doing this."

"He doesn't like a lot of things, so it isn't very impressive," Molayne quipped, much to the Trial Captain's displeasure. "Anyway, is this your first trial on Ula'ula?"

"Yeah, Charlotte and I have one more, right?"

"Yes. That would be Acerola's trial down at the old Thrifty Megamart. To get there, you just—"

" _Bzzzt, go south of Tapu Village and Mount Lanakila and along Route 14, where it'll be sitting near the coast_!" Rotomdex interrupted.

"Thanks, Rotomdex," Niko said. "and thanks to the both of you. Sophocles, I really appreciate you taking the time to prepare this trial for me."

"No problem, but it wasn't just for you," Sophocles added, "Molayne already explained this to you, but my relationship with Totem Vikavolt isn't exactly the best."

"Gotcha. Either way, thanks for it. I'll see you two later."

"Hopefully at the Alola League," Molayne said with a wink. Niko didn't quite know what to make of it but nodded cordially before leaving the laboratory.

* * *

"I knew you would do it!" Charlotte said as she grabbed ahold of Niko's waist in a hug.

"I knew it, too. I think we were just having an off day. An off day where I didn't completely have trust in my Pokémon, I guess," Niko said. "Anyway, the next trial is at Thrifty Megamart, which Rotomdex is an expert on," he said in a slightly passive-aggressive tone to the talking pokédex, who produced a frowning emotion on its screen. "I also need to show you the poses for Electrium-Z."

Charlotte laughed, "yeah, I forgot to ask Sophocles how to do those."

The trio left the Hokulani Observatory to rest at the peak of the mountain before continuing their journey, now with a renewed sense of improvement in their goals.


	29. Alpha lizard

**Episode 29: Alpha lizard**

"Flaaffy! Use Gigavolt Havoc!" Charlotte shouted, completing the Z-move poses by creating a lightning bolt shape with her arms and hands, just as Niko had taught her. Flaaffy spun around, pointing its tail at the target—the road in front of him—and created a massive ball of electricity that he eventually fired down the dirt road.

Afterwards, Flaaffy collapsed onto his knees, panting heavily. Charlotte ran over to him and placed a hand on his pink, electrically-charging wool. By now, she had gotten used to the occasional electric shock.

"It's okay, you'll get used to it. You haven't had to use that much electricity before," Charlotte said, noting that Flaaffy's only experience with Z-moves had been Breakneck Blitz. Flaaffy nodded with his usual confidence. Since evolving, the Wool Pokémon has gained more than enough confidence, which allowed him to work on new techniques without having to worry as much about the amount of power he was putting into it.

When Charlotte stood up to survey the damage done by Gigavolt Havoc, she wasn't surprised by what she saw—the road was charred for nearly a quarter mile.

"That's…powerful," she said. Looking behind her, she noticed Niko and Warren having a practice battle between Tranquill and Trumbeak. The two birds fought high in the air, exchanging physical and ranged attacks with no obvious end in sight. "Those two have gotten pretty close," she muttered before returning to her other Pokémon. Noivern and Dartrix were busy watching their fellow aerial Pokémon do battle in the sky; Lapras was sleeping in a nearby pond; Salandit was the only one still practicing besides Flaaffy.

Charlotte had wanted Salandit to learn another poison type move, one that could allow her ability—corrosion—to play a significant effect. After consulting with Rotomdex, she figured that the Toxic Lizard Pokémon could learn a move that most Pokémon have relative ease in learning—the move toxic.

However, for whatever reason Salandit was having difficulties. That's likely because Charlotte herself didn't know how to use the move. She had hardly seen it before, and has never trained a poison type before, and therefore found teaching toxic a difficult task. "How's it going?" she asked Salandit, who belted out another brief puff of smog before looking up at her trainer. She seemed irritated, and so Charlotte said down crisscrossed next to her Pokémon. "I get why you're angry with yourself—after doing so well in that trial, you kinda think it'll get easier, right?"

Salandit nodded, electing to puff out a flame burst from her nose—something Charlotte found impressive on its own. The ball of fire smacked into the ground, accidentally waking up Litleo, who had been asleep. The little feline Pokémon leapt to his feet and growled menacingly at Salandit. In turn, the Toxic Lizard Pokémon hissed back, equally as menacing, and frightened Litleo enough that he dashed to Warren in fear.

Charlotte sighed. "You could've been nicer about that, you know. You need to learn to respect other Pokémon, and not get so agitated."

Salandit hissed at Charlotte, who was unfazed by the act. Instead, Salandit looked away, clearly more upset than before.

* * *

According to Rotomdex, the journey to the Thrifty Megamart—the next trial on Ula'ula Island, would take them a couple of weeks. The fastest way was through the Haina Desert, but Niko elected to stay away from that if possible. He never had the best experiences with deserts, particularly in Hoenn. Charlotte tended to agree, as she didn't like sand as much after travelling through it in Unova, right after starting her journey with Niko and Warren.

The path to the next town—Tapu Village, at the base of Mount Lanakila—took them around the eastern and eventually southern coast of Ula'ula Island. It was a mountainous path, a feature that the trio didn't quite realize until three days into their journey after leaving the bus stop at the base of Mount Hokulani. By the time Charlotte and Salandit had their spat, they were between Route 11 and 12, and in the middle of a rough mountainous terrain.

It reminded Niko of his journeys in Johto, Sinnoh, and Battle Island, where he and his friends had to trek across an entire mountain range. They hadn't quite gotten there yet, but he saw it ahead, and prayed for his legs after realizing how taxing the trip was going to be.

"So, how's Salandit doing?" Niko asked one evening as they ate soup from ceramic bowls Charlotte found in Malie City. "You're trying to teach her toxic, right?"

"Yup," Charlotte said, "any advice?"

"On that? Not really—Venusaur is my only poison type, and I don't think he really knows any poison moves. Actually, come to think of it—he's never actually learned one. So, I never considered him a poison type. In that way, I've also never actually raised a poison type Pokémon."

"Wow…" Charlotte said with surprise. "I never really thought about it. You've technically trained every type, right?"

"Yup, even dragons. And only one dark type, too."

Charlotte thought for a moment. "Learning toxic isn't the only thing bothering me. Salandit had sort of an attitude, and I'm not sure why."

"Well, can't only female Salandit evolve?" Warren asked, with Charlotte's nod as a confirmation. "Then they're likely the alphas in their packs. So…female Salandit are likely to be considered as powerful Pokémon, since they have to lead. Maybe Salandit just feels like she needs to live up to high expectations, and she'll lash out—understandably enough—when she doesn't achieve her desired goal."

Charlotte nodded. "That makes sense. She feels like she had an obligation to be the strongest that she can be. I get it. I just don't know how to help her."

"I think maybe space is a helpful start. And words of encouragement, but sparingly," Warren said, "I've noticed Salandit doesn't always respond directly to praise, and only if she feels like she's proven her feats to herself."

"How do you know that?" Niko asked.

"Her expressions. There have been times in training sessions where Charlotte would say 'good job' and Salandit would just shrug it off, and other times—like after she won the Hokulani Trial—that Charlotte would praise her, and she'd smirk back. She knows when she's proud of herself, and when she shouldn't be. In an odd way, she resembles you, Niko."

"Me?"

"Yeah. You're always proud of your wins, but some really fire you up over others. Like, when you beat Hunter in Unova, and Elliot in the same one. But Against, say, Dan—remember him? It was different, and you responded accordingly. It isn't a direct comparison, but do you see what I mean?"

"Yeah, I suppose so," Niko said, reflecting on this. Warren was right, but only to an extent, since he certainly felt happy when he won. However, as shown by his recent loss in the Hokulani Trial, or even in the Kalos Champion's League, he was starting to take losses better than he used to. That, to him, was a growth in his ability as a Pokémon trainer. For Salandit, he thought, she would experience a similar growth when she learned to be proud of every win, regardless of how she may have performed relative to other wins of its kind.

"I think we'll be able to make it through the mountain range in the morning," Warren said, looking up at the mountain behind them. "It's gonna be exhausting, and we might not get a chance to train up there."

"Likely not," Niko said, "oh well, we should have some time when we're through, right?"

"Of course."

* * *

The mountain trails were as difficult as they seemed when the trio began their day-long trek through Route 12. By midday, Niko's legs felt like jelly as he collapsed against the side of a boulder.

"Damn…" he said exasperatedly, "that's…something…"

"Do you really think this is better than a desert?" Charlotte said as she was doubled over. Rarely was she mad with Niko. This was one of those rare moments.

"…kinda," Niko said, afraid of his girlfriend lashing out. She did not, only rolled her eyes. "Look, now we're at the top of the trail. We can only go down from here," he said, looking not at Charlotte, but out onto the ocean beyond. He realized something—an easier way to travel around Route 12—but avoided saying it so he wouldn't get thrown off of the mountain range by Charlotte.

"That is true," Warren said, "it should be easier on our legs."

"We could've taken Lapras…" Charlotte said as she facepalmed.

"I was going to say—"

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU?" Charlotte shouted back in an oddly comical manner. Niko hid behind the boulder out of fear, genuinely scared of his girlfriend in that moment.

"Let's eat, how about that?" Niko suggested, "I think we could all use a bite."

The trio made lunch under the autumn sun and sent out their Pokémon when they did so. All of them happily ate without a care in the world—they didn't have to spent hours climbing up a mountain range, after all. The only exception was Salandit, who walked ahead and continued to train. Charlotte watched her do so and failing each time she sputtered out a small smog bubble, instead of conjuring a ring of poison around her invisible opponent as was characteristic of the move.

"Hey, Salandit, come and eat!" Charlotte said encouragingly. "You'll have more fuel to practice using toxic!"

This wasn't the best thing to say. Salandit simply glared back at her trainer before slithering further away from the trio, and nearly out of sight around a gradual turn in the trail. Charlotte, looking down at her sandwich, then elected to leave her Pokémon alone, knowing that saying anything more could easily upset her.

Charlotte was packing up her bag after lunch and returning her Pokémon when suddenly she heard a loud crashing sound up the trail—where Salandit was. Dropping her things, she dashed off to see the Toxic Lizard Pokémon being crushed under the hand of a sentient boulder-like Pokémon.

"That looks like a Graveler," Niko said, remembering seeing them on occasion in his previous journeys. "But…it's a little different."

" _Bzzzt…that's because this type of Graveler is only found in Alola_!" Rotomdex announced. " _Graveler—the Rock Pokémon. Rock and electric type. When two Graveler fight each other, it fills the surroundings with flashes of light and sound. People call it the 'fireworks of the earth.'_ "

"Hey! That's my Pokémon!" Charlotte snapped at the Graveler, "Salandit, use flame burst!"

Salandit reared her head upwards and fired a small ball of fire at Graveler's face. It hardly seemed to affect the Rock Pokémon but did distract it long enough for Salandit to get out from under its massive hand. Graveler quickly recovered and slammed down an electrified fist. Salandit attempted to evade but got hit and rolled to the side of the trail, towards the edge of the mountain range. Graveler charged down at it, using a second thunder punch. This time, Salandit managed to dodge and use dragon rage, hitting Graveler in the back and causing it to tumble off of the mountain and into the valley below.

"Well done, Salandit!" Charlotte said. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon merely nodded. She wasn't feeling much better. "Oh, c'mon! That was a _rock_ type, Salandit! That was really impressive!"

Salandit ignored her once more.

"You really need to take a win as a win, buddy," Charlotte said. "Otherwise, you'll never be truly satisfied, and you won't grow as a Pokémon."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Salandit leapt backwards and fired a dragon rage at the ground, causing Charlotte to stumble backwards and towards Niko and Warren. A rock slide came down in Salandit's path, nearly knocking the Toxic Lizard Pokémon off of the cliff with Graveler before her.

"No!" Charlotte shouted, getting off of Niko and running towards the rock slide that had now produced two more Gravelers, and neither of them looked happy. "Salandit!"

The Toxic Lizard Pokémon stood low to the ground, ready to pounce on her new opponents. Both conjured golden orbs and fired them, simultaneously, at Salandit. She attempted to avoid the dual smack down attack but failed and was thrown further backwards. One of the Graveler conjured a series of electric sparks, while the other fired off rocks from its hands. Salandit did her best to evade the moves, using dragon rage to block the rocks and simply leaping out of the way to avoid the electricity.

"Dartrix, razor leaf!" Charlotte shouted. In reaction to this, Salandit fired off a flame burst at her partner, frightening the Blade Quill Pokémon, who leapt out of the way just in time. "What the hell!?"

"This is Salandit's battle, I guess," Niko said as he was about to summon a Pokémon of his own. "Let's let her have it."

Charlotte, worried now, eventually nodded. "Thanks for trying, Dartrix," she said. "Go, Salandit! Use dragon rage!"

Salandit nodded, leaping onto the side of the mountain using her gravity-defying climbing skills, and leapt even higher into the air when a Graveler used thunderpunch on the rock, shattering it into dozens of smaller pieces before taking a dragon rage to the head. However, Salandit wasn't aware of the second Graveler, who fired a smack down in an upwards direction. The Toxic Lizard quickly descended onto the trail, crashing powerfully into the ground.

"Salandit!" Charlotte shouted, running into the battle herself.

Seeing this, Salandit hissed viciously at her trainer before, on complete accident, summoning a purple ring under the Graveler closest to Charlotte. Purple bubbles surrounded Graveler as it began to turn a shade of the same color and collapsed onto a single hand in exhaustion. As soon as the other ran towards Charlotte, Salandit did the same thing, causing it to collapse.

She then stood up on her hind claws and began to glow a bright white color, growing immensely. She continued to resemble a salamander and retained her thin dark gray body with a purple underside. Her head was dark gray with purple eyes and slit pupils. There were several tooth-like protrusions on her lower jaw. Her body had three pink markings—one on the chest, which split to form a "U" shape; and two on the abdomen that formed two "F" shaped patterns. She had a long, dark gray tail with a pink underside and two protrusions coming out to form the tail's base. The digits on her hands and feet were long and thin.

Rotomdex was losing its mind over this. " _Bzzzt! Charlotte! That's a Salazzle! Only female Salandit can evolve into it! It's known as the Toxic Lizard Pokémon and is poison and fire type. Salazzle punished Salandit that couldn't bring it food with a fierce slap of its flame-spewing palm_."

Charlotte's Salazzle stood tall as she gazed at the two now-poisoned Graveler. They didn't attack—either due to intimidation or from the results of the poison running through their bodies. Either way, Salazzle simply smirked at Charlotte: an indication that she was proud of herself.

"I'm proud of you, too," Charlotte replied, having a good idea as to what her Pokémon was thinking in that moment. "Really…I mean that."

Salazzle simply nodded in response before looking down on the pained Gravelers.

"Let's help them out—I think we made our point," Warren said, reaching for a pair of Pecha Berries in his bag. Salazzle noticed this and hissed at him aggressively.

"Salazzle," Charlotte said, calmly holding her hand out, "it's fine. We don't want them to hurt us, or at least try to. Let's make peace and move on."

Salazzle seemed torn by this, but eventually relented in favor of her trainer's decision. Warren helped feed the berries to the two Gravelers before watching them climb back up the mountain from whence they came. "That was…an adventure, I suppose."

"It was. I think this was a good idea, Niko," Charlotte admitted to her boyfriend.

"No, it wasn't, and you know it," Niko said, sounding exhausted. He noticed Salazzle scoff quietly, and he did his best to ignore it.

"Yeah, you're right—it really wasn't," Charlotte said with a quick giggle. She returned a proud and satisfied Salazzle, and the trio continued on their way towards Tapu Village and Mount Lanakila.


	30. Blush Mountain Geothermal Plant

**Episode 30: Blush Mountain Geothermal Plant**

Making it down from the mountain range on Route 12 was far easier than going up it. By the end of the day, the trio were on the other side and well on their way to Tapu Village.

Niko and Charlotte spent a considerable amount of time during the next day training in preparation for their next trial. They didn't know what type might be used, and so they focused on each of their Pokémon, specifically new moves that they could learn. Niko was helping Ribombee learn energy ball, a move he knew specifically how to teach and one that wasn't particularly difficult for the Bee Fly Pokémon to master, since it was similar to pollen puff.

Vaporeon and Lapras took some time to learn aurora beam and ice beam, respectively, helping one another out if necessary. There was a beach nearby that allowed the two water types to swim around, enjoying the company of one another and practicing their moves together.

Charlotte's Noivern worked on learning air slash with the help of Warren's Tranquill. Occasionally, Trumbeak would butt in their training, likely as he felt envious of the attention the Sound Wave Pokémon was getting. Charlotte, Niko, and Warren watched it with amusement. Niko in particular was fascinated by the Bugle Beak Pokémon's actions—when he first caught him as a Pikipek, the tiny woodpecker seemed disinterested in most things and people, generally caring only for himself. Now, it seemed like he cared about Tranquill.

When Niko sat down to eat, he looked inland to get a sense of the path ahead, as there was a beach and the ocean behind him. There was a mountain range to the north and an uneven, rocky path to the west, in the direction of Tapu Village. At the base of the largest mountain in the range, however, was a structure that looked similar to a power plant—at least, the power plants that he had seen in other regions.

"You guys want to check that out?" Niko asked, pointing to the structure.

"The last time we went to a power plant, we had a horde of dragon Pokémon following us," Charlotte said dryly.

"Err, well…" Niko said, looking back up at the mountain. "Who knows? Maybe instead we'll have a horde of ground types chasing after us?" noticing Charlotte's glare, he smirked. "I'm joking. Rotomdex…what is that?"

" _Bzzzt…that's Blush Mountain, Niko,_ " Rotomdex stated, " _It's where the Geothermal Power Plant is stationed. Its output covers almost all of Ula'ula Island's electric needs. Also, it produces a special magnetic field that allow Pokémon like Magneton, Nosepass, and Charjabug to evolve_."

"Magneton…?" Warren asked, "Niko! You could evolve your Magneton!"

"I've thought about it, but never really thought about going through with it," Niko replied, "plus, I don't think it's ever considered the possibility of evolution."

"Anyway, I think we should at least check the place out," Warren said, "who knows, maybe we'll get something out of it!"

Niko nodded. After all, they didn't have much else to do. And one of the many joys of travelling _was_ sight-seeing. They weren't just travelling to complete these trials. Charlotte relented, packed up her things, returned Lapras to her pokéball, and joined her friends as they went off towards Blush Mountain.

It wasn't too far away, maybe half a mile inland. At the base of the mountain was an orange-roofed building with a massive structure behind it. The structure was connected to long wires that went up into the mountain itself. To the right of the building was a wide field where humans and Pokémon alike worked.

Charlotte's attention quickly turned to the field, where she noticed some unfamiliar Pokémon. One was a massive horse with a long, dark brown mane. The other was a small, light brown donkey-like creature only a few feet tall in height. Charlotte noticed it was oddly charming and went off to observe it.

"Charlotte, where're you going?" Niko asked to his wandering girlfriend.

"Going to see this Pokémon, that's all," she said casually. Rotomdex hovered behind her, also curious.

" _Bzzzt, that's a Mudbray, Charlotte! They're known as the Donkey Pokémon and are ground types. Possessing might power, Mudbray can be loaded with 50 times its own body weight and still be totally fine_."

"Wow!" Charlotte said as she got close to the Mudbray. "You're strong, little guy."

Mudbray looked up at Charlotte curiously through its eyes, each of which had horizontal pupils. It had black bangs hanging over its face before turning into a stiff mane along its neck. It was brown-colored with the exception of its cream-colored, mud-caked hooves.

"Is that…that's mud," Charlotte said, looking down at Mudbray's hooves, as well as her sandals, now coated in it. As she lifted a foot to examine it, she lost balance and fell into the mud, coating the right side of her body in the soft, liquid-dirt mixture. "Oof…and…ugh!" Charlotte said as she stood up, trying to wipe loose mud and dirt from her clothes. "And these were new, too!"

To make matters worse, Mudbray whinnied at her in a loud, coarse tone. This further attracted the larger brown horse, who whinnied even louder and more threatening. Charlotte's eyes widened as it prepared to charge at her. She held her hands up in surrender, slowly walking backwards as Niko and Warren came to her aide.

"Let's see if they have some sort of shower in the plant," Niko said, referencing the geothermal plant nearby. "Also…let's not get into trouble before we try to tour the place."

"But, I…" Charlotte said as she looked back at the Mudbray, who was returning to its work, whatever it was doing.

* * *

"Welcome to the Blush Mountain Geothermal Center! I'm Dr. Shane Glowman, the Director of Research here," Dr. Glowman said as he shook the trio's hands. "Tell me, what can I do for you three today?"

"We're here exploring. We're not from Alola, and figured we'd stop by on our way to Tapu Village," Niko explained. Dr. Glowman nodded, albeit curtly, and turned to lead them through the plant. The entrance to the plant—the lobby—was just like any ordinary lobby room, with plants, chairs, and magazines on coffee tables. An administrative assistant sat at the front desk, looking at something on her computer. Dr. Glowman led them into a back room, behind the lobby.

"I always enjoy giving people tours of the plant. There's nothing much that we have to hide here, and everything is safe enough that the public can walk around and observe how the plant operates," Dr. Glowman explained. "Therefore, as long as one of our researchers is present, anyone can view the inner workings of the plant."

Niko peered through a large, thick glass window into the area inside. There, he saw a massive domed structure with a wide tube leading through the ceiling and, presumably, outside. That must've been what he'd seen earlier, as they were entering the plant.

"This is the core of the plant, actually," Dr. Glowman explained, "the science behind geothermal energy is sort of complex, and so I won't go into detail, but that dome right there essentially powers the entire plant, using energy from Blush Mountain. Through those tubes," he references the large tubes running out of the sides of the core, "also transfer energy throughout Ula'ula Island. They're all underground, though, so you wouldn't have seen them on your journey."

"Fascinating," Niko said. He knew close to nothing about science, but he never ceased to be amazed by it.

"Question," Charlotte said, looking up at Dr. Glowman. She was still covered in mud. "We saw several Mudbray and other Pokémon working out near this plant. Do they belong to this facility?"

"Yes, well, sort of," Dr. Glowman explained, "They help carry a lot of the materials that we need to other parts of the region. Since they can carry so much weight on their backs, they reduce the manpower required to operate this plant, and that way we can save a lot of money in our budget to use for other endeavors."

Charlotte looked at him curiously. She didn't quite know what to think. _On one hand, they're being used for free labor, but on the other…do they really care_? "Why do you need to save money? Wouldn't you make enough from the island using the electricity?"

"It's complicated, Charlotte," Dr. Glowman said, now sterner than before, "I don't have to explain the intricacies of my budget to a kid like you."

"I hate being called a kid," Charlotte said calmly. Usually hearing this made her angry, but she didn't feel like it was necessary to erupt in this case.

"I don't see the problem in using Pokémon for labor if they don't mind doing it. Isn't that similar to training a Pokémon for battle?"

"My Pokémon enjoy it, though," Charlotte argued back. "They want to battle. Do these Mudbray even want to work for you? Do they even have a choice?"

"They didn't, but they don't seem to protest it," Dr. Glowman replied.

Niko didn't quite understand why Charlotte was getting into an argument with Dr. Glowman. "Charlotte…maybe we should just go," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look up at him, took a deep breath, and nodded.

"Yeah, sorry. It just…doesn't make sense to me."

"And it doesn't have to," Dr. Glowman said, "As a scientist trust me, some things just don't make perfect sense."

Charlotte nodded and proceeded to walk out with Niko and Warren. As they did, they saw a helicopter flying above them, causing a strong gust of wind that blew their hair around. The trio watched it land to their left, off in the distance, with Dr. Glowman going off to greet whoever was inside.

There, Niko recognized, was Ferdinand Diamond exiting the helicopter. Before he could get a good enough look, he felt Charlotte grab his wrist lightly.

"C'mon, let's go," she said, motioning with her head towards the mud fields.

"What're we—Charlotte, no," Niko said.

"Why not?" Charlotte said in a low voice, "They probably are loaded with cash, they can afford some workers," she said, "plus, those Mudbray are kinda cute…I'd like to catch one."

"Just because they're cute?" Niko asked. Charlotte then shook her head.

"No, but that's part of it. They're also strong Pokémon. We could use one of those—kinda like my Gogoat."

"Alright, so you're just gonna catch a Pokémon that's technically owned by the largest Power Plant in Alola," Niko said, trying to wrap his head around this, "did I contaminate you with my bullheadedness or something?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you always told me to not just run into a problem head-first," Niko explained, "now you're doing the exact same thing."

"If it works, then it works, right?" Charlotte argued.

"I just…don't see the point here," Niko said. They were now at the fields. The same Mudbray that Charlotte had met earlier immediately recognized her and turned away. Niko watched her approach the Donkey Pokémon, this time slowly.

Mudbray watched Charlotte cautiously as she, in her mud-soaked clothes, walked up to it. In the background, the large mud-horse creature also watched, although it looked less pleased to see her. Niko and Warren, both worried for Charlotte, had pokéballs at the ready in the event they needed to fight.

"Hi Mudbray…" Charlotte said, holding her hands out in front of her, "look, I'm sorry if I upset you in any way earlier. I'm new to this place and I wanted to learn more about you, that's all," she stopped, roughly three or four yards from the Donkey Pokémon. "Look, I know that your job is to build this plant. Is that what you want to do? Do you enjoy doing this?"

Mudbray looked at her with no sign of emotion in sight. Eventually, it turned to the mud-horse, whom Rotomdex identified as a Mudsdale. The larger Pokémon shook its head. Its tone had completely changed. All of the sudden, it seemed to get what Charlotte was getting at. Mudbray turned to Charlotte and also shook its head.

"Well, you can come with me, then!" she suggested. Mudbray tilted its head to the side. "Yeah! I'm a Pokémon trainer, and my Pokémon and I are doing these trials, and we'd love to have you! You can get stronger with me, if that's what you'd want to do, and you'd have a lot of great friends by your side. If you don't want to, that's completely okay with me. It's just a suggestion, though."

Before Mudbray could answer, the trio heard shouting from behind them. It was Dr. Glowman and Mr. Diamond. The former was waving a fist and yelling over to them.

"Don't you dare take my Pokémon!" he shouted, "We need them! Ula'ula needs them!"

"They don't want to be here, though!" Charlotte shouted back, "They _just_ told me so!"

"We lose so much money if you do that!" Mr. Diamond shouted before recognizing Niko, "And you! You again!"

"Me again," Niko said, holding a pokéball in his hand, "how're you, Mr. Diamond?"

"I expected nothing more from a low-life like yourself, young man," Mr. Diamond said, "trying to take our Mudsdale because they're strong Pokémon. You know, if you ever want to be a strong trainer you can't just catch strong Pokémon. I thought you'd know that."

"I do. But I'm not the one catching anything," Niko said with a smirk as Charlotte, now locking eyes with Mudbray, pulled out a pokéball from her bag and threw it into the air. It landed on top of Mudbray's back, and the Donkey Pokémon went inside. The Mudsdale in the background whinnied wildly, not quite understanding what was happening.

"You're free," she said, picking up the pokéball and looking at Mudsdale. "Go! And I'll take good care of your Mudbray. I promise."

"You fool!" Dr. Glowman shouted, "You're doing the same thing you're accusing me of!"

"The difference is Mudbray wanted to," Charlotte said, "as a trainer, we have that sort of sixth sense. I know what it looks like, I'm not stupid. Some people think Pokémon are used against their will to fight. That they are akin to slaves. That's not the case here, and it never has been with me, whereas it could be with you."

Dr. Glowman was furious, but Mr. Diamond laid a hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear that seemed to calm his temper. "Fine. Whatever. We'll get those Mudbray and Mudsdale back but mark my words—if I see you here on my property again, I will call the authorities."

"Noted," Charlotte said, looking at Niko and Warren, "let's go."

Her two male companions nodded and turned to leave. As they walked away from Blush Mountain, Niko had a sneaking suspicion that Mr. Diamond was more than just a stupidly wealthy man. There was something else about him, albeit not necessarily evil.

"Niko, you alright?" Warren asked.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. I just don't like Ferdinand Diamond, that's all," he said.

"Well, now I need someone to not like!" Warren said, "You have Mr. Diamond, Charlotte has Dr. Glowman. Who's my enemy?"

"You don't need one, Warren," Niko said, "you're just likeable as it is!"

"Heh, you're right," Warren said with a wink to Niko and Charlotte.

Charlotte, on the other hand, felt relieved. She had helped a Pokémon today, even though it looked more like she had helped herself. With that in mind, she would do everything she could to make sure Mudbray had a better life than before.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Sorry that these haven't come out in a week (i'm so very behind). Also, this is probably not the best way to catch a Pokemon, but it's what I thought up at the time. Let me know what you think, and I hope you enjoy.**


	31. Abundance

**Episode 31: Abundance**

"Mudbray, use high horsepower!" Charlotte shouted. The Donkey Pokémon turned to look at Charlotte for a moment, as if he were confused about whether or not to actually listen to his new trainer. Nevertheless, he stomped on the ground with his front hooves and charged forward, kicking up loose dirt into the air as he ran at an unusually high speed, especially for a donkey. He slammed into the nearby rock wall separating their location from the Haina Desert, shattering part of the wall and causing rocks to tumble down everywhere. "Well…done," Charlotte said, looking rather satisfied. There's no way she'll lose this next trial, that's for sure.

It had been a few days since their incident at the Blush Mountain Geothermal Plant, where Charlotte caught Mudbray in an attempt to, ironically, free the Donkey Pokémon from being used labor. Despite her righteousness in the moment, she did begin to have conflicting feelings about this—was Dr. Glowman right? Was she just doing the same thing that he was, only with a bow on top?

She grew more concerned over the following days while she, Warren, and Niko made their way along Route 13 towards Tapu Village, the first major stop on their journey to their next Island Trial at the Thrifty Megamart. To be sure, Charlotte enjoyed the company of Mudbray. Despite the Donkey Pokémon having a somewhat dismissive personality before catching it, he seemed to get along cordially—at least—with the rest of her Pokémon. She learned that Mudbray was somewhat introverted and didn't socialize much with her other Pokémon—or Niko's or Warren's, for that matter. In a way, it reminded her of Niko's Trumbeak, who was now best friends with Warren's Tranquill. Knowing this, she was sure Mudbray would find a friend soon enough.

However, that didn't change the fact that she was starting to feel conflicted about her choice. She wanted to talk to Niko or Warren about it but hadn't yet found the time—or the courage—to admit her mistake yet.

"Hey Warren," Niko began as he was eating dinner, "how's Sydney doing?"

"Well, last time I checked in we were at Hokulani Observatory, but she's fine. She was more curious about our adventures, so I ended up talking a lot."

"Is she still doing that same job? The assistant one?" Niko asked. It had certainly been a while since he had spoken with Sydney. Sometimes, he wondered how Warren and she were able to handle being away as long as they were.

"No, she just landed a job at a radio station in Castelia. CX-150, I believe."

"Oh, that's really good!" Charlotte said excitedly. "It stands for Castelia-X, right? I used to listen to that all the time!"

"What's do they talk about?" Niko asked, "And what does she do there?"

"Well, she's one of the writing assistants, or something like that. All she does is help prepare notes for the hosts. CX-150 is a Pokémon lifestyle radio channel. They talk to people from different backgrounds about their careers. I think they once had Alder on…that might be the most famous trainer they've had, as far as Unova is concerned."

Charlotte nodded in agreement, "I really liked the interview they did with that Chef from, oh dear, what was the place called…? Oh! Right, Restaurant Prime! He seemed like a great guy!"

"That used to be my boss, actually," Niko said quietly. Sometimes, he forgets that he worked as a dishwasher briefly. At the time, it had been over two years since he had been there. It was an expensive place to dine—there was no way Niko could afford it.

"Wait, yeah you told me that!" Charlotte said, remembering a conversation they had early on in their friendship, while travelling through Unova. "He's really nice!"

"Yeah, he was. Good manager. Didn't take crap from anyone. The work sucked, but he made it worthwhile to be there."

"That's good," Charlotte said with a smile. It made her realize how far Niko had come. Oftentimes, she thinks about how long his journey has been to get him to where he was now. A League Champion. A powerful trainer. In some ways, a hero.

One of the many reasons she liked him.

"Anyways, I think it's time for bed," Niko said, putting his food on the ground, where Torracat quickly took it in between his fangs and chewed it, ultimately finishing it within a minute. "Hungry, eh?"

Torracat nodded. Since the Hokulani Observatory Trial, he had continued training like never before. Niko got the sense that he didn't want to humiliate himself like that ever again. He refused to lose again, especially to something he had an advantage on.

* * *

 _"GRAWR!" Torracat shouted before spinning around. He felt the heat leave his body, turning him into a swirling vortex of fiery energy. Before he knew it, he was already colliding with his opponent, knocking the shadow several yards backwards and onto the ground._

 _He then heard Niko in the background shouting something completely unfamiliar. Nevertheless, he felt a great deal of energy swirling around him as he leapt high into the air and slammed down on his opponent, which only looked like a black outline of some unknown creature to the Fire Cat Pokémon. He felt exhausted after standing back up, clearly completing the attack successfully. Looking back, Niko's image blurred and swirled around, and Torracat briefly saw an image of a floating Pokémon, but he couldn't quite make out what it was._

Then he awoke with a start. Looking around, he saw Dartrix sitting up, just as confused as he was. The two exchanged glances, as if reading each other's mind, and ran off in the direction of Haina Desert behind them.

* * *

The following morning, Niko woke up to Ribombee sleeping on his chest; Charlotte was next to him on his left, soundly asleep; Vaporeon was to his right, and Trumbeak was sleeping standing up, as he usually did. Several feet away, Warren and his Pokémon were sleeping, and nearby so were Charlotte's.

However, Niko immediately noticed Torracat missing. Trying unsuccessfully to not wake Ribombee or Charlotte up, Niko sat upwards to get a better look before standing up fully.

"Morning, Niko…" Charlotte said groggily.

"I don't see Torracat," Niko said, a concerned look on his face. "What the-?"

Charlotte also sat up, surveying her slowly awakening Pokémon. "Dartrix is missing."

"Where did they go?" Niko threw on a shirt and looked around before slowly waking up Trumbeak. Charlotte did the same with Noivern. "Hey, buddy, we need to find Torracat and Dartrix. They're not here, for whatever reason. Can you help us find them?"

Trumbeak, looking uncharacteristically nervous, nodded. As did Ribombee. The last time they dealt with a missing Pokémon, he was the reason. He hoped Torracat wasn't pulling the same stunt and buzzed off in search of his friend and teammate.

Minutes later, Warren woke up to see Niko and Charlotte packing up. "So soon?"

"Yup," Niko replied with a protein bar in his mouth, "Torwacat and Dawtrix are misswing," Niko replied with food in his mouth.

"Right. I got that. Any idea where they might've gone? Tranquill, go help Trumbeak and Noivern," Warren declared as he also got out of his sleeping bag to quickly get ready.

Niko thought about that for a moment. Ideally, he had hoped his Pokémon wouldn't go into the Haina Desert, but it was a very distinct possibility. Otherwise, Torracat and Dartrix either went back towards Blush Mountain, or onwards towards Tapu Village. "No reason to go to Blush Mountain…and I don't see why they'd need to visit Tapu Village…"

"Do you think…?" Charlotte began, pausing as her boyfriend looked to Rotomdex.

"What's in Haina Desert?" Niko asked the talking pokédex.

" _Bzzzt…the Ruins of Abundance are located in the Haina Desert. Otherwise, many species of ground and rock types reside within the desert, including—_ "

"I'm sure I already know what's in there. How far would the Ruins of Abundance be?" Niko wondered.

" _No idea…the desert is like a maze. I cannot pinpoint its exact location from here_."

"Then I'll go in. Charlotte?" Niko asked, holding out his hand. They both had something to look for. She nodded, and Niko turned back to Warren. "Do you mind staying back?"

"No problem."

Niko nodded, and he and his girlfriend entered the Haina Desert.

* * *

The sunlight beat down harshly on Niko and Charlotte as they slowly made their way through the hot sand of the Haina Desert. Niko only had two thoughts the entire time—where was Torracat, and that he was right in choosing to not cross the desert on their way to Tapu Village.

Charlotte looked up, using her hand to cover her eyes from the sun looking down at her at an angle. Ahead of them were four rocks in a square formation, with paths in between each and a smaller rock in the middle. "I think we've seen this one before," she said to Niko.

"What makes you say that?" her boyfriend responded.

"Because of the way the rocks are positioned, of course," Charlotte said, pointing with her other hand. She was about to continue explaining her train of thought when she felt something burrowing underneath her. Out of nowhere a Krokorok jumped in front of her. Instinctively, she summoned Salazzle. "Use dragon rage!" she shouted. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon, feeling empowered by the sunlight, leaned forward and spit out a jet of powerful purple-orange flames that hit Krokorok in the chest, knocking it over. The Krokorok, seemingly afraid now, burrowed back into the sand.

"Well done," Niko said with a smile. "Now, let's keep going. If we've seen this place before, then we need to go a different way than before. Any ideas?"

"I was thinking forward," Charlotte said. "Last time we veered to the left, and somehow made our way back here. I say we try forward this time."

Niko nodded. He had no reason to doubt Charlotte. She returned Salazzle and the two continued onwards. After walking for another thirty or so minutes, Niko noticed a different rock formation off in the distance. It was oddly shaped, and in between two of the rocks stood statues. Statues that he recognized.

"Charlotte!" Niko shouted as his girlfriend was busy looking somewhere else. "Look at this!"

"Those statues…" Charlotte turned and immediately recognized them. "This must be the Ruins of Abundance."

" _Bzzzt! Yes!_ " Rotomdex shouted. " _Well done, Charlotte! We found them because of you!_ "

"Well, it wasn't just me…" Charlotte said coyly. "Anyway, Torracat and Dartrix might be here, right?"

* * *

Torracat and Dartrix entered the Ruins of Abundance, although they didn't exactly know its name. The Fire Cat Pokémon looked around curiously at the first chamber they entered—a long hallway with a raised platform above mounds of sand. Cube-shaped boulders littered the area as well, forcing Torracat to leap over and around them to get to the end of the hallway. By the time they did, the two looked at one another once more before entering the next chamber.

On a raised platform in the back of the room sat a floating red and black shell in the shape of a bull's head. Upon noticing Torracat and Dartrix, the shell quickly opened to reveal a black figure underneath. Several white markings covered the body of the creature. Its eyes had black pupils, blue irises with orange across the middle, and red borders along the bottom. It had a golden nose with a white ring running through its "nostrils." Its arms were thick with red rings around its shoulders and ended in golden, cloven hooves. Its tail was mostly covered in a golden bell with black markings on it. Now that its shell was opened completely, it resembled a flower or plant.

Torracat let out a low growl at the unknown creature; Dartrix grabbed the inside of his wing in anticipation of using razor leaf. However, the bull-creature didn't do anything but stare down at them.

Then, it began to speak in a deep voice that Torracat and Dartrix seemed to comprehend. However, they did not understand the meaning of the words it was speaking. Something about a crystal and new power.

Out of thin air, two crystals, each four-sided, appeared on each side of the creature. One was forest green with some black marking in the center, and the other was dark red with a black marking in a different shape as the first. Immediately, Torracat and Dartrix recognized these, even if they had forgotten where.

"Torracat!" Niko's voice shouted out from the end of the hallway.

"Dartrix!" Charlotte called out from the same location.

The two Pokémon turned to see their trainers running into the chamber, which seemed to startle the bull-creature. Immediately, Rotomdex-who had accompanied the two—began whizzing and whirring around excitedly.

" _Bzzzt! Niko, Charlotte, that's Tapu Bulu! The Guardian Deity of Ula'ula Island!_ " Rotomdex cried out.

"What the…?" Niko asked, eying Tapu Bulu with wonder and confusion, "Why're we here? Why're _you_ here?" He asked, looking down at Torracat. The Fire Cat Pokémon pointed a paw to the two crystals floating in the air.

" _Tapu Bulu is known as the Land Spirit Pokémon. It is a grass and fairy type. It makes ringing sounds with its tail to let others know where it is, avoiding unneeded conflicts. This guardian deity of Ula'ula controls plants_."

Niko and Charlotte were too focused on the crystals floating in front of them to pay any attention to Rotomdex. They also noticed how drawn their Pokémon were to them.

"Is this why you came here?" Niko asked his feline friend. Torracat looked up at Niko and nodded. Dartrix did the same with Charlotte.

"Niko those look like Z-crystals," Charlotte added as she and Dartrix approached the forest green one. "But…it looks different."

"So does this one," Niko said as he approached the dark red one. "It…kinda looks like the face of a cat. Torracat, do you have your _own_ Z-crystal?"

"Do Pokémon in general?" Charlotte asked.

"Yeah, remember at the Battle Royal we saw Eevee use one?" Niko said, recalling him and his then-Eevee looking in awe at Kagetora's Eevee using Extreme Evoboost. Charlotte nodded before taking the Z-crystal in her hand. "So these must be for Torracat and Dartrix."

"Shouldn't there be a third, though?" Charlotte asked, "for Brionne?"

Niko nodded, noting the lack of a water-type Z-crystal. "Guess Tapu Bulu didn't think it was necessary. Tapu Bulu…why are you giving these to us?" Tapu Bulu didn't respond, instead ringing the bell on the bottom of its body and closing its shell. It didn't want to be disturbed anymore.

"I suppose it's time to leave, then," Charlotte said, looking around. "C'mon Dartrix, let's get you and Torracat out of here," she said, pocketing the Z-crystal and returning the Blade Quill Pokémon. Niko did the same, and the couple quickly made their way out of the Ruins of Abundance and back into the Haina Desert, just as the midday sun was beginning its descent into the west.

* * *

"So…some of your Pokémon have exclusive Z-crystals?" Warren asked when Niko and Charlotte brought him up to speed. "That's crazy! Can they use them yet?"

"I would assume so, right?" Niko asked, "So far, there haven't been any requirements for us to use Z-moves, other than defeating the right trial. So this shouldn't be any different."

"I think when we get to Tapu Village we can ask around about them. And maybe try them out for ourselves," Charlotte said.

"But we'd need to know the right poses for them," Niko wondered. "Right?"

"Well, they're grass and fire Z-crystals, right? The moves would be the same, and I'm sure the poses are, too," Charlotte assumed. Neither Niko nor Warren knew enough about these strange Z-crystals, so neither decided it was appropriate to challenge these assumptions.

What Niko was more concerned about, however, was _why_ Torracat and Dartrix got them, and from Tapu Bulu of all Pokémon? What made those two in particular so unique as to receive their exclusive Z-crystals from an Island Guardian?

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey y'all, a close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on , the sister site to . If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	32. Niko and the Heel Pokemon

**Episode 32: Niko and the Heel Pokemon**

Niko stared down at the dark red Z-crystal as he placed it in his Z-ring. After finding it in the Ruins of Abundance with Charlotte, Torracat, and Dartrix, he was eager to give it a shot.

"Oh, Trumbeak!" he shouted, watching the Bugle Beak Pokémon angrily peck Warren's Tranquill. "Stop that," he said sternly. Trumbeak turned to him and shrugged, not appearing to pay much attention. "Hey, Charlotte, are you gonna try out your Z-crystal?"

Charlotte looked at the crystal, sitting in her bag. "I don't think it's gonna work, Niko," she said with a level of concern in her tone. "We don't even know what it's called."

Niko knew she was right, but he wanted to try anyways. "Torracat, I choose you!" he shouted, summoning the Fire Cat Pokémon. "Alright buddy, we're gonna figure out this new Z-crystal. You in?" Torracat turned to him and snarled. He looked ready. "Gotcha. Torracat!" Niko shouted, performing the moves for Firium-Z. "Let's…GO!"

…

Niko stood there, his hands protruding outwards in the final pose for Inferno Overdrive. Torracat stood in his usual battle pose, with the front half of his body low to the ground. He blinked a few times before sighing.

"Guess you're right, Charlotte," Niko said, looking disappointed. He removed the Z-crystal and lightly threw it into his bag. "You guys want to continue walking?"

Charlotte shrugged. "Unless you want to do some training here."

Niko looked around at the area they were in. It was a forested road just half a day's walk from the Haina Desert. If they kept their current pace, they'd arrive at Tapu Village by the end of the day, or early the following morning. "Yeah, I'd like to train for a bit. If that's alright with you."

Charlotte nodded. "It is."

* * *

"Cousins!" Professor Kukui shouted out as he saw Niko, Charlotte, and Warren approaching Tapu Village. "Long time no see!"

"Professor Kukui," Niko said with surprise. He didn't expect to see Kukui here, of all places, "what're you doing at Tapu Village?"

"Well, Niko," Kukui began, his sunglasses shining in the midday sun, "I'm on business on behalf of the Alola League, which is…just up that mountain over there," he said, pointing to a mountain range just north of them. Niko could barely see the top of the snow-capped mountains. "That's Mount Lanakila, where the Alola League is held every winter. Don't worry, we accounted for how cold it gets up there."

"What're you doing for the league?" Warren asked.

"Oh, that's, err, confidential, Warren," Kukui said, "but I started the league years ago, and I serve as an advisor of sorts to Hau and the Elite 4. It's us six and the four Island Kahunas. We put together the Alola League every year, as well as deal with any problems in the region."

"Are there any problems?" Niko asked, feeling as though he had an instinct for this sort of thing by now.

"Well, no, not at the moment," Kukui said. "Anyway! How have you three been? How're the trials going?"

"Good, we're on our way to Thrifty Megamart for our next one," Niko explained. To this, Kukui raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, Acerola's trial. That's a fun one, I think," Kukui said with a sly smirk. "If you get easily scared, it won't be an easy trial for ya."

"You don't think so?" Niko asked, and Kukui shook his head.

"Nah, cousin. Acerola is an…interesting woman, and her trial is reflective of that. But anyway, welcome to Tapu Village! Know anything about it?"

"Nope…" Niko and Charlotte said as they surveyed the area. It was a small village resting on the southwestern coast of Ula'ula Island. To the north, near the path to Mount Lanakila, there was a Pokémon Center. Otherwise, there wasn't much around. Some ruins of old buildings and other severely-damaged homes that were somehow still standing. All in all, it was an empty place.

"Well, this used to be a thriving village ages ago," Kukui explained, "but it was destroyed by Tapu Bulu when the people aroused its anger."

"Tapu Bulu did this…?" Niko asked.

"Yep! The Tapus are incredibly powerful beings, and Bulu is no different. In fact, it might be the most destructive one. Not in terms of its relative power, but in how it uses its power. It has this bell on its tail that…"

"…rings when its angry," Niko said slowly and quietly. "Yeah."

"Wait, did Rotomdex tell you that?" Kukui asked.

"When we met Tapu Bulu, yes," Charlotte answered. Kukui's eyes widened in surprise and, if she was correct, fear. "Why?"

"It's impressive that you lived to tell the tale. Depending on its mood, Tapu Bulu rarely lets people leave the Ruins of Abundance. That is, provided you're able to make it there on your own. Did you go to the ruins?"

"Actually…yes," Niko said, reaching into his bag in search of the dark red Z-crystal that he found a couple days ago in the Ruins of Abundance. Charlotte did the same, "Torracat and Dartrix left us in the middle of the night in search of the ruins, and when they got there Tapu Bulu gave these to them."

Kukui eyed the two Z-crystals in Niko's and Charlotte's palms. He was silent for a moment, likely figuring out a reason for why he was seeing them in the first place.

"There's a lot to unpack here, my dudes," Kukui said, standing back up straight. "First off, I wonder why Tapu Bulu gave these to _you_ two. Rarely, at least nowadays with the advent of Trial Captains, do Guardian Deities give out Z-crystals. Usually it's the Totem Pokémon or the Trial Captain or, occasionally, a Z-crystal is just found somewhere randomly. I know that Mount Lanakila once had a cavern that naturally grew the materials that make up Icium-Z, for example.

"But I doubt either of you can answer my first question. Secondly, I want to tell you a bit about these, since you'll find them very helpful, particularly against Acerola. That is, once you meet all of the conditions."

"What conditions?" Charlotte asked.

"Follow me," Kukui said, leading them into the Pokémon Center nearby. The four of them sat down at a booth, and the professor continued. "You each have in your hands an exclusive Z-crystal for Incineroar and Decidueye—the final forms for Litten and Rowlet, respectively. The crystals are called, as you might imagine, Incinium-Z and Decidium-Z. Incinium-Z allows an Incineroar to use Malicious Moonsault—a dark type move—and Decidium-Z allowed Decidueye to use Sinister Arrow Raid—a ghost-type move. Make sense?"

"So…to use these moves we need our Pokémon to evolve?" Niko asked, with Kukui quickly nodding in response.

"Precisely. Your Torracat will need to evolve first."

"I figured as much. Is there any particular poses we need to learn?"

"Not really. Do you know how to use Darkium-Z, or Ghostium-Z?" Kukui asked before slapping his forehead. "Of course you don't! You haven't gotten to those trials yet! Well, those are the poses you use, since each Z-move is either a dark or ghost type."

Niko and Charlotte looked at one another, and then back at Kukui, who sat opposite them. They hadn't realized that starter Pokémon got a special Z-crystal of their own. How common was this?

Not common, as Kukui then answered. "I don't know many trainers who use these sorts of moves. Maybe it's more common than I think, but since I give out starter Pokémon and, generally speaking, keep tabs on the trainers that take them, I'm confident enough in my observations here. So, in that sense consider yourselves unique. Something special happened here, whether it was Tapu Bulu, your Pokémon, or _you two_. Keep that in mind."

"Right, thanks Kukui," Niko said, allowing all of this to soak in. "Guess I need to train with Torracat some more, right?"

"Indeed. If he evolves and I'm still around, I can show you a few more things that you might find helpful," Kukui added, with Niko nodding cordially. "Anyways, I have to head to the Aether House. Got a meeting with some old colleagues of mine."

"Aether House?" Warren asked. "Is that…?"

"Yes, it's related to the Aether Foundation," Kukui explained. "You're aware of them?"

Warren nodded.

"They nowadays deal with orphans—Pokémon and children. An Oranguru runs the facility currently. Acerola used to live there, at least until she came of age and left on her own. Would you three like to join me?"

"Sure! I read about the Aether Foundation while in Malie City!" Warren said excitedly. "What they did with regards to Ultra Beasts was…questionable at best, but they're fascinating in the sorts of scientific technology they're spear-heading."

"Oh, yes indeed. They've gotten better, let me tell ya," Kukui said as the four of them left the Pokémon Center. "It's just up the road. It won't be a long walk, I don't think."

* * *

The Aether House was a massive facility resting on the edge of the mountain range that included Mount Lanakila. It had a predominately white color scheme with different shades of light blue mixed in. It was an impressive-looking building, Niko thought, even though it stuck out like a sore thumb in his opinion.

"This is it!" Kukui said. "The Aether House! What do you guys think?"

"Looks neat," Charlotte said as she approached the front entrance. The double doors slide open with a light whirring sound. In the main foyer there was a reception desk that stood in front of a staff room. To their left and right were four doors white chrome doors with different signs on them.

The oddest aspect of the foyer, however, was the creature sitting at the front desk. It was a massive white orangutan-like Pokémon. Most of its body was covered in white fur, but its hands, feet, and snout were bare with light gray skin present. The fur around its head and under its chin was longer and created the impression of a beard. It had a broad, flat nose and a black area around its eyes. In the center of its forehead was a yellow marking in the shape of a four-pointed star. A cape of purple fur covered its back and was divided into several wavy clumps. There were a few strands of orange of light blue hairs in the clumps near the front. In its hand was a fan made of green leaves and woven together with its purple fur.

"Woah…" Niko said upon seeing the Pokémon. "What's that?"

" _Bzzzt!_ " Rotomdex shouted as he flew into the foyer. " _That's an Oranguru! It's a normal and psychic type and is known as the Sage Pokémon! It normally spends its time meditating in the treetops. It throws pokéballs and gives other Pokémon orders as it pleases_."

"Interesting choice to lead an orphanage," Niko said dryly. He could tell Oranguru didn't exactly appreciate the comment.

"Hey, Oranguru," Kukui said, "I was coming in to see Gladion. Is he around?"

Oranguru, clearly miffed by Niko's comment, ultimately nodded and, getting out of its seat, disappeared into the staff room.

Minutes later a tall young man, maybe a few years older than Niko, walked out. He was pale and thin with blonde hair that was slicked back and green eyes. He wore a grey t-shirt with a black suit jacket with red pockets on the front. He wore black pants that had a couple of tears in them. Lastly, he had a rectangular bag around his waist.

"Gladion!" Kukui said, bringing the young man into a hug. "It's been a while. How've you been, cousin?"

"I've been well. Running this orphanage is…harder work than I anticipated, though," Gladion said before turning to Niko. "I see you've brought company with you?"

"Ah, yes! Gladion, this is Niko, Charlotte, and Warren. They're from Kanto and Unova, and Niko and Charlotte are doing the Island Challenge."

"Really now?" Gladion said, raising an eyebrow. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Niko said as he reached his hand out. Gladion hesitated, but ultimately shook it. "How do you two know each other?"

"We go back," Gladion said curtly. "Anyways Kukui, we need to talk."

"Indeed we do. We'll be back in a bit," Kukui said to Niko and his friends as he disappeared into the staff room behind Oranguru. The Sage Pokémon continued to glare at Niko.

Terrified of the large orangutan, Niko looked to his girlfriend for comfort. "Why don't we go outside and train for a bit while we wait for Kukui?"

Charlotte nodded, and the three made their way outside and summoned their teams of Pokémon. Niko, now with the knowledge of Incinium-Z, was eager to train Torracat. He and Charlotte told their two Pokémon about the Z-crystals. Torracat looked excited at the opportunity to use it. Dartrix was, too, albeit not as animated as his friend.

"Torracat, let's train against Vaporeon, how about that?" Niko suggested. Last time Torracat had evolved, it was in the presence of his then-Eevee. Since Eevee had hatched from her egg, the two tended to get along unusually well. The Fire Cat Pokémon nodded, standing low to the ground while waiting to do battle with his friend.

Meanwhile, Charlotte and Warren engaged in a battle between her Flaaffy and his Litleo. Despite not battling too much, the small Cub Pokémon was able to keep pace with Flaaffy and even land several hits on it, mainly fire fang and take down, before being soundly defeated by a close-range electro ball.

"Good job, Litleo," Warren said as he crouched down to pick up the fallen Pokémon. "Did you like battling?" Litleo nodded before falling asleep in Warren's arms.

"Nice battle, Warren," Charlotte said as she pet Flaaffy, ignoring the shocks she received when she did so. "I don't remember the last time we battled against your Litleo. It's gotten stronger."

"Yeah. Even though I don't compete in gyms or trials, I'd like for my Pokémon to have some sort of battling experience. Plus, I think Litleo likes it," Warren said as he stood back up. "All of my Pokémon do, except maybe Poliwhirl. He did for a time when we travelled in Unova, but that was about it."

"I hear ya. Flaaffy didn't for a while, now he does," Charlotte said, looking down at the Wool Pokémon, who looked back up at her with joy as well. They then turned to Niko, who was engaged in a battle between two of his Pokémon. He didn't issue any commands—he liked to watch and coach from the sidelines when his Pokémon battled one another. "I'm surprised at how close this match is."

"You are?" Warren asked. "Vaporeon has the advantage type-wise, but Torracat is a stronger Pokémon. I think those balance out quite well," he explained as Vaporeon leapt high into the air to throw down a water pulse on Torracat, who blocked it with flamethrower.

"Point taken," Charlotte said, crossing her arms.

"Cousins!" Kukui shouted as he and Gladion exited the Aether House. "What're you up to?"

"Just training for a bit," Charlotte replied as the two approached her and Warren.

"Torracat, eh? Just like Ash's…or yours," he mumbled the last two words to Kukui, who paused.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kukui replied. "But yes, Niko owns a Torracat and Vaporeon. I just told him about Incinium-Z, and I guess he's trying to activate it."

Gladion crossed his arms. "Niko!" he shouted, pausing the battle and getting Niko's attention. "Let's battle—one on one. Against that Torracat of yours."

"Really?" Niko asked curiously. He looked at Vaporeon and Torracat, both of whom seemed to nod as well. "Alright then. You ready, buddy?"

Torracat snarled powerfully, which Niko took as a "yes." He walked over behind his Pokémon, with Vaporeon at his side. Gladion was opposite him on the edge of the field. As he did so, a number of young kids and Pokémon appeared on the sidelines with Charlotte, Warren, and Kukui.

"These the orphans?" Charlotte asked Kukui, who nodded.

"They look up to Gladion. It's rare that they see him battle, too. So I guess this is a treat for everyone."

"Silvally, I choose you!" Gladion shouted. The Pokémon that came out of his ultra-ball was chimeric in appearance as it seemed to share characteristics of other creatures. It had silver fur on its head and a fish-like tailfin for a tail with spikes in the back. Its snout was metallic on its nose bridge and upper jaw, both of which led to a triangular black nose frames by three red lines. Its upper jaw ended in a sharply pointed overbite, while its lower jaw had two visible fangs, one on each side. On each side of its head was a circular, metallic port, with a white circle crossed by a metal line. The back of the crest on its head opened up with three long spikes jutting out of it. IT had two sharp, pointed ears.

"What the hell?" Niko asked, suddenly feeling afraid. Torracat flinched slightly at the sight of the Pokémon. Despite neither of them having seen anything like this before, it came off as incredibly intimidating.

" _Bzzzt, Silvally: The Synthetic Pokémon. Normal type. This is its form once it has awakened and evolved. Freed from its heavy mask, its speed is greatly increased_."

"This is my Silvally, Niko. One of my first Pokémon, and one of my strongest. Kukui told me about you—that you're a League Champion. Prove that to me. Silvally, use crush claw!"

"Torracat, double kick!" Niko shouted. _Normal type, then? We can handle this_. Torracat charged forward, meeting the crush claw with his glowing paws. However, despite the type advantage with the moves, the Fire Cat Pokémon was thrust onto the ground underneath the overwhelming weight of Silvally's front claw. "Flamethrower!"

"Crunch!" Gladion commanded. Silvally picked up Torracat by getting onto its hind legs and threw its opponent into the air, only to catch Torracat's paw with his mouth and thrust him into the ground.

Then, Gladion opened the rectangular bag on his waist and pulled out a blue disk. He threw it into the air, and instinctively Silvally caught it with the side of his head. Suddenly, its tailfin and spikes on its head turned light blue.

"Multi-attack!" Gladion roared out. A blue aura surrounded Silvally. Then its claws began to illuminate the same color, and it charged at Torracat, slashed at him furiously.

Torracat roared out as he was thrust backwards and onto the grass. He struggled to get back up.

"What was that?" Niko shouted to Gladion.

"Multi-attack. It's a move that only Silvally can learn, and its type depends on the memory disk that I give it. I gave it the water type memory disk in this case. Silvally, use crush claw!"

"Torracat, get up!" Niko shouted. The Fire Cat Pokémon struggled to stand, but eventually did just as Silvally grabbed his face and held him up, the other front claw glowing a bright red color. "TORRACAT!"

Suddenly, the fiery feline began to glow, causing Silvally to let go. Charlotte noticed Gladion and Kukui both smirking. Torracat grew much larger, now finding himself on two feet instead of four. He now had a more muscular build. His new form had a short snout with a small red nose, bright green eyes with yellow sclerae, and tiny, pointed ears. Large tufts of red fur extended from his cheeks, and much of his face was also red. The upper half of his muzzle was black. A thin red stripe ran vertically along his head to his snout, where it split into a V-shape over his eyes. His torso was gray with several black stripes and seemed to resemble a wrestler tank-top.

Around his waist was a belt formed from flames that resembled a championship wrestling belt. In the front center was a small, yellow flame shape. The arms, legs, and tail were all red with black stripes forming bands around them.

"Woah…" Niko said in awe. He never imagined Incineroar to look quite like this. " _This_ is what you evolve into?" he asked the Pokémon now nearly as tall as he was.

" _Incineroar, the Heel Pokémon. Fire and dark type!_ " Rotomdex shouted excitedly. " _Although it's rough mannered and egotistical, it finds beating down unworthy opponents boring. It gets motivated for stronger opponents_."

"Alright!" Niko shouted excitedly. "Incineroar, use—huh?" he paused. Incineroar began spinning around, causing flames to erupt from his hands, waist, and feet. He then charged at Silvally, who attempted to block with x-scissor, but failed and was knocked onto its side. Incineroar then kicked it powerfully with double kick before unleashing a flamethrower from his fire belt. "Incineroar, stop! You have to listen to _me_!"

"Heh. This is normal," Kukui said in a low voice that only Charlotte heard.

"What do you mean?"

"Niko's going to have to train Incineroar to, well, listen to him again. Every trainer I've seen that's trained this Pokémon knows what that means. That's why I wanted Gladion to battle him—only his Silvally was strong enough to handle this in the event that Torracat did evolve."

"So this was planned?" Charlotte asked, and Kukui nodded. "Why?"

"Because Niko wanted to unleash Incinium-Z. He won't be able to perfect that until he and Incineroar can become in sync with one another, simply because that's the type of Pokémon that Incineroar is. But I wanted him to battle Gladion first to trigger the evolution and bring him one step closer to mastering it."

"Why didn't you do that with me and Dartrix?" Charlotte asked.

"Because you don't need it—Decidueye is now the same rough-mannered Pokémon that Incineroar is."

"Multi-attack!" Gladion shouted. Silvally thrust its claws forward and slashed at Incineroar, knocking him backwards and leaving him in the grass in defeat. "Well done, return," Gladion said to his Pokémon. "And well done to you too, Niko."

"But I didn't do anything…" Niko said.

"You've evolved your Litten all the way—that's impressive on its own. Incineroar might not obey you now, but if you prove yourself worthy, he will listen to you," Gladion explained. "Keep it up—you've got a bright future."

"That's what I've been told," Niko replied.

"And they're right. Trust me, I've seen and known bright trainers. Some of them wasted their potential, and some realized it. You have to choose where you stand."

Niko nodded. He barely knew Gladion, and Gladion barely knew him, but he was more correct than he realized.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey y'all, a close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on , the sister site to . If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	33. Warren's goal

**Episode 33: Warren's goal**

Niko spent that night thinking about what Gladion said to him—about being worthy to train Incineroar, and his potential as a trainer. He had dealt with these questions several times before, but he was a different person now. Niko had conquered a regional conference and faced the Elite 4, a rare feat for trainers. As far as training itself, he was doing better than he ever had—his Pokémon had, so far, listened to him, and his only defeat was due to a momentary loss of confidence, and was quickly resolved.

Now, he faced the challenge of, essentially, re-training a fully evolved, incredibly powerful Pokémon. Not exactly an obstacle he's faced before.

So, he spent the night at the Pokémon Center sitting outside, near the ocean, watching the waves ebb and flow. He wanted the fresh air—something Alola had in abundance—while he thought about his next steps. To be sure, he wasn't worried. He wasn't beating himself up like he used to, with Croconaw or Numel. No, Niko was confident he could get Incineroar under control. He just needed the right conditions to be met first.

After a while, he tried to take his mind off of Incineroar and look to the future. He and Charlotte had one trial and one Grand Trial left on Ula'ula, and then it was off to the fourth island—Poni—for however many trials were there. After that, the Alola League. Niko rarely thought that far ahead, and never thought past a Pokémon League. But since Alola's league conference was earlier in the year than most others, what would he do in the mean time? Usually, he went home for a couple of months before travelling to a new region in the late summer or early fall—sort of like a school's calendar year.

Maybe he'd head to Sinnoh, where Jake was, and travel a bit with him. Help him train for the Lily of the Valley Conference. Or maybe him and Charlotte could go to an entirely new region and take their time, maybe lay low for a bit until they felt ready to continue on. Maybe Charlotte wanted to go to a region he had already visited and compete in their league?

So many possible options, and all of them seemed equally likely.

Niko then heard a rustling in the grass behind him. The steps were light and quick—obviously Charlotte's feet pressing against the grass. Soon enough, the brunette sat next to him, gazing at the silvery moonlit water.

"Thinking?" she asked. Niko nodded, "About what?"

"Incineroar, mainly."

"Are you worried?" Niko shook his head, which surprised Charlotte. "Really?"

"Not at all. I'm used to this. Incineroar is by far the most powerful Pokémon that refuses to obey me, but it's not like I haven't done this before."

"Have you figured out how you'll get through to him?"

"Sort of. I've realized that the best way is to play it by ear. I've only battled with him once so far, so we'll see. That new move he used—darkest lariat—it's really powerful."

"It is. I was impressed. Is that all you were thinking about?"

"Kind of. I was thinking about the future, too, but that's a discussion we can have at a later time," Niko said. When Charlotte gave him a curious, but not concerned, look, he elaborated, "I mean it isn't urgent. Not that I don't want to—I do, because it's important to our relationship—but it isn't pressing. We have a trial and Grand Trial coming up, which are more important."

Charlotte nodded. "I know, I just didn't expect that from you. Not a bad thing, though."

Niko placed an arm around her. "What was Gladion talked to you and Warren about earlier? After the battle?" he asked. While Niko was trying to understand Incineroar—and break up a brief fight between the Heel Pokémon and Vaporeon—Gladion asked Charlotte and Warren to do something for him. He couldn't really hear what was said, but it seemed urgent.

"Oh, nothing. He wants us to help him with something on Mount Lanakila, that's all."

"Really…?" Niko asked. "That was it? What do you need to help with?"

"Oh, it's not too complicated. Gladion got a call of a group of Pokémon that need rescuing, out on the outskirts of the mountain—in a sort of secluded location. You don't have to come if you don't want to. Warren obviously wants to—he's been itching to do something like this."

"Warren's confused me lately, actually," Niko said. "Like, he's come off as a little distant. He doesn't have the same energy about him that he did in Unova. Is there a reason for that?"

Charlotte, hesitantly, nodded. She told him everything that Warren told her at Mount Hokulani. That he is in search of a new path in life and hasn't quite figured it out yet. This was all a surprise to Niko, who had always assumed Warren would be some sort of professional writer and/or traveler. More than that, though, Niko was confused as to why one of his closest friends hadn't sought to confide in him.

"Why didn't he tell me this?" Niko asked, slight worry in his tone.

"He was going to, but I guess he wanted to wait until he really knew what the problem was first. That's why he waited a while to tell us."

Niko was taken aback. His friend had felt useless around him, and he had had no idea. He was beginning to feel purposeless—Niko knew that well. In fact, that's how he met Warren in the first place. "I'd like to talk to him, too. Maybe not tonight, but after this trip to Mount Lanakila."

"I think it'd be great for you to do that," Charlotte said, leaning in to Niko.

"How are you?" he asked, "Is everything okay with you?"

"I'm fine," Charlotte said, which was a lie. She was concerned by how she caught Mudbray, wondering if it was the right thing to do. She tried not to think about it too much, and she realized it wasn't the biggest or most pressing problem in the world, but it did concern her every time she summoned the Donkey Pokémon. She questioned whether she made the right choice.

"Well, if there's anything wrong, you know you can talk to me about it," Niko said.

"I know, and I will," Charlotte said. Despite her lack of will to discuss this problem, she appreciated Niko's understanding nature, and appreciated that he cared about her.

* * *

"So, this is the supposed location for the Pokémon," Gladion said, handing Warren a small, rectangular device. "All I'm asking of you is that you bring these Pokémon down here. They recently lost their parents in an avalanche, and the nearby sky lodge is holding on to them until we can get there. Once they're at the Aether House, I'll hold on to them until they find worthy trainers."

"Gotcha. Anything else?" Warren asked. He had volunteered to lead this mission for Gladion.

"Nothing else but my thanks. I mean that. With Kukui heading back to Melemele Island, I'm the only one who can staff this place at the moment. Acerola—one of my part-time staffers—is preparing for a trial of hers, and so she's busy. I've really only got you three."

The trio nodded and, with their bodies bundled up in thick snow gear, headed up the road towards Mount Lanakila. Walking along the beaten path they noticed a fair amount of recognizable Pokémon, like Snorunt and Sneasel. At one point, Niko noticed a white-furred Vulpix, only to learn that it was an Alola variant of the Kanto Vulpix he was used to seeing.

" _Bzzzt, that Vulpix is an ice type! They live together in a skulk, helping one another. Before eating their prey, they freeze it solid with their -58-degree Fahrenheit breath_ ," Rotomdex explained as it took a picture of the Fox Pokémon.

"It's a-a-adorable," Charlotte commented, still cold despite the layers of clothing she was wearing.

About an hour later, it started the snow around them, blanketing the side of the mountain with a white sheet of powdered ice.

"How much further do we have to go?" Niko asked Warren, who checked the device given to him by Gladion.

"Not much, by the looks of it. I think we'll be there in maybe a half hour or less," Warren said, "Gladion didn't mention what Pokémon we'd be bringing down, did he?"

The couple shook their head. "Only that there were multiple of them, I think."

Warren nodded. He only jumped at the offer Gladion gave him because he wanted to do something…anything that was different and helpful to others. He remembered his conversation with Charlotte back on Mount Hokulani, where he decided that he might want to pursue a career in investigative journalism. While that was very much still an interest of his, he enjoyed doing this mission, albeit a small one. He felt useful.

Thinking of this made him smile in a somewhat silly way, which caused Niko and Charlotte to tilt their heads in confusion. They then looked at one another, and also grinned, realizing what he might be thinking about.

After half an hour, Warren checked the device, as he had been doing on and off during their trek. "Wait…we're supposed to be…ah, dammit."

"What's up?" Niko asked.

"We must be going in the wrong direction," he replied, shaking the small device in a sad attempt to fix it. "But…how?"

"Let me see it," Niko said, taking the device from Warren's hands. On the screen was a red dot on a map that was almost entirely white with green lines running around it (to resemble snow and trees, Niko figured), presumably signifying their location. "So where is the ski lodge?"

"It should be a blue dot…but I don't see it. If we were there, wouldn't the dots overlay on one another?"

"Yes, but there's nothing around here."

"Let's just have our flying Pokémon look for it, then?" Charlotte suggested. Niko and Warren nodded, sending out Tranquil and Trumbeak, while Charlotte sent out Noivern and Dartrix. All four flying types shot into the air in search of the ski lodge while the trio walked around on the ground in search of it.

Minutes later, Trumbeak flew back from a westward direction and started cawing loudly to get Niko's attention. "They found it, I guess?"

The trio waited for the others to return before returning them and running off with Trumbeak in the lead. After a few more minutes, they saw the ski lodge off in the distance. Warren smiled—they had found their destination.

The ski lodge was a two-story log cabin with a balcony in the back on the second floor. Further past it was a smaller building connected to a gondola lift that, presumably, took visitors close to the top where they would begin skiing. The trio approached the ski lodge just as a man was exiting.

He was tall with a large, black beard that matched his hair. He had a large, bulkier build and wore jeans and a plaid shirt underneath a large puffy snow coat. In an odd way, he reminded Niko of Wulfric from the Kalos region. Upon noticing the three trainers, he smiled and waved to them.

"Morning! What can I do for ya?"

"Hi. I'm Warren, and this is Niko and Charlotte. We were sent by Gladion to pick up some Pokémon to take to the Aether House and told to come to this place."

The man's face soured a bit. "I did, but…"

"But what?" Warren asked, his tone becoming progressively sterner.

"But…they left."

"The Pokémon left?"

"Yes. Let me explain. The Pokémon in question are three Sandshrew. I found them curled up near the gondola lift. I asked them if they were lost, since we don't have a lot of Pokémon living around the lodge anyways, so it's an odd occurrence when we do. I believe they nodded, and so I then asked if they had parents. One of them shook its head, so I took them in. I knew of an orphanage nearby—Aether House—and contacted them. That's when Gladion sent you three up, I suppose. But this morning they all left."

"Do you know where they might've gone?" Warren asked. The man shrugged and shook his head. "Then where did you first find them? Over there?" he nodded, and Warren ran off towards the gondola lift. Underneath one of the cables he saw a small in-print in the snow. "Rotomdex, can I have some information on Sandshrew?"

"They're ground type, right?" Niko asked. "Why would they be in a snowy environment?"

" _Bzzzt! False, Niko! False!_ " Rotomdex intervened. " _Sandshrew are ice and steel types! Warren, they are two feet and four inches, and weigh 88.2 pounds_."

"Gotcha, thanks," Warren said while Niko stood there puzzled. "So if there were three of them…then this makes sense. Sandshrew curl up, right? Okay…they have small feet, so these tiny little footprints might be theirs!"

Warren ran off in the direction of the footprints, looking down at the ground as he did so. Niko and Charlotte—who wasn't talking much due to being cold still—looked at one another and smiled again. Warren felt in his element.

* * *

It didn't take long for Warren to find the Sandshrew. They were huddled up against a tree on the edge of a forest to the south of the ski lodge. Warren slowed his pace to approach the Sandshrew, crouching down in front of them.

" _Sandshrew, the Mouse Pokémon. Ice and steel type. The skin on its back is as hard as steel. Predators go after its soft belly, so it clings to the ground desperately_."

"Hey there. I'm Warren, and I'm here to take you three to a new home. You…you _do_ need a new home, right?"

The three Sandshrew uncurled themselves and looked up at Warren, each of them nodding.

"Don't worry little guys, the people at your new home are really friendly. They'll help you find trainers or another home later," he stood back up. "C'mon, let's go!"

Niko and Charlotte watched as Warren guided the Sandshrew back towards the ski lodge, where the bearded man stood and watched. He didn't say much, only waved to them with a smile on his face as the trio—humans and Pokémon—continued back down the mountain and to the Aether House.

Along the way, Warren told the Sandshrew a little bit about himself, and even introduced them to his Pokémon. Poliwhirl, Leavanny, Tranquill, and Litleo seemed to enjoy the Sandshrew's company, and by the time they made it back to Aether House a couple of hours later, they seemed to be more than simply cordial with one another.

Warren led the Sandshrew into the house to introduce them to Gladion, while Niko, Charlotte, and Warren's Pokémon stood outside.

"He really took control of this," Niko said. "It was…different."

Charlotte agreed. "Think this is something he'd want to do? Find and raise Pokémon before sending them off with trainers or new owners?"

"You mean kind of what JJ and Maizie do?" Niko asked.

"Mhmm. Sort of. Only without the breeding aspect of it. I mean think about it—he could do that in Castelia City. It's a big city full of several lost or wild Pokémon. Your Snivy, for example, was a stray Pokémon."

"Well, sort of," Niko said as he remembered meeting his Serperior, then a Snivy. "She was owned by Professor Juniper technically, but point taken."

"That Snivy was really important to you and your development as a trainer. Warren could do that, but with so many other Pokémon and trainers."

Niko thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, you're right. I thought he wanted to be an investigative journalist, though."

"He said it was a good idea, but he never really told me that he was dead-set on doing that. Technically, he could really kind of do both. Maybe not the investigative part, but he _could_ write professionally while running an orphanage. It's a lot of work but he's more than capable."

The entire time Warren's Pokémon looked up at them and listened. Only Poliwhirl truly understood what their trainer was going through, and occasionally nodded with Niko or Charlotte after a point was made that he agreed with. The other three seemed more confused than anything.

The conversation was interrupted when Warren walked out of the Aether House. He cleared his throat as he approached his friends. "Hey, guys."

"Oh, Warren! Is everything good with Gladion?" Charlotte asked.

"Yeah, the Sandshrew are going to be just fine there. Speaking of Gladion…"

"What's up?"

"Well, Gladion is looking for some help. Since Acerola is only a part time staff member, he needs some more hands on deck to keep this place running. He appreciated our help with the Sandshrew and asked me if I would come on and work here as a staffer."

Niko and Charlotte looked at him with wide eyes. They were just discussing something similar, and now Warren was thinking of doing it—only sooner than they had thought.

"Well, what do you think?" Niko asked.

"Niko…" Warren began. "I should tell you something."

"I know, actually. About your crisis of identity. You don't know what you want to do," when Warren looked surprised, he elaborated. "Charlotte told me. In fact, we were just now talking about the idea of you doing something like this in Castelia City, since you seemed to like it so much. But…" he looked away for a moment, "if you want to stay here…then you can…"

Noticing a couple tears well up in Niko's eyes, Warren smirked. "I'm not doing it, Niko."

"What?"

"I'm not. Seeing you and Charlotte complete the Island Trials and compete in the Alola League is what I set out to do here. Sure, I need to figure my own life out, but watching you two achieve your dreams is just as exciting to me. Plus, it really gives me time to think about the future. Right now, you two are my priority."

Niko didn't say anything. Instead, he ran up to hug Warren.

"I'll make it worth your while, I promise," he said.

Charlotte also went in for a hug. "Same goes for me."

"I like your idea, though," Warren said as he let go of Charlotte. "About living in Castelia City. It sounds perfect. I'm going to look more into it."

"Please do," Niko said, "we might be your priority, but we also want to see you succeed in whatever you do, too."

Warren nodded. "Of course. Now, I already said bye to Gladion for us, so why don't we get you two to your next trial?"

Niko and Charlotte nodded, and the trio travelled south, with Rotomdex guiding the way towards Thrifty Megamart, and their next Ula'ula Island trial.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey y'all, a close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on , the sister site to . If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	34. Green arrow

**Episode 34: Green arrow**

"Dazzling gleam!" Niko shouted as Ribombee tried to convert the energy he normally used for fairy wind into light energy. The Bee Fly Pokémon struggled, strained too much, and stopped to pant heavily. "Guess it's a lot of energy for you, huh?" he asked. Ribombee looked at Niko, feeling slightly offended, and began trying again. "C'mon buddy, don't overexert yourself! We have a trial coming up!"

Niko figured that, as long as Incineroar was having difficulty taking directions from him, that he might need to rely on his other Pokémon, who might not be as powerful as the Heel Pokémon. So, while on their way to the Thrifty Megamart for their next trial, Niko worked with Trumbeak, Ribombee, and Vaporeon on some new moves that they could learn. Vaporeon was getting aurora beam down; Trumbeak was working on drill peck (which wasn't too far off from the move pluck, only with more energy about it); and Ribombee was trying to master dazzling gleam. As a fairy type, Niko figured that this was the right move for his little Pokémon to be learning.

When the others weren't training, Niko began trying a special one-on-one training with Incineroar. He had only tried this once, earlier that same day, and it blew up in his face when the Heel Pokémon attempted to use darkest lariat on _him_ , causing Vaporeon and Trumbeak to intervene. This ignited a fight between the three Pokémon, with Trumbeak eventually ending it with echoed voice to shut everyone up.

Niko was embarrassed for Incineroar, and for himself.

Meanwhile, Charlotte and her Pokémon were training as well, albeit with relative ease compared to Niko and his Pokémon. However, she did have some concerns. One of them was with Mudbray. While the Donkey Pokémon seemed to be getting along better with the others—he was more social now, specifically with Flaaffy—she still had difficulty wondering if she had made the right choice. She resolved to talk with Niko about it after their upcoming trial. She needed another opinion.

The second problem was Dartrix. Like then-Torracat, he too got a special Z-crystal. However, he had yet to evolve. Would he end up like Incineroar, and not listen to her? Was this Decidueye—Dartrix's evolved form—as much of a beast as Niko's Pokémon was? Kukui assured her that this wasn't the case, and she had ample reason to believe him. However, it still concerned her all the same.

From the Aether House, it would take the trio roughly a day to get to the next trial site, and that included resting. It gave Niko and Charlotte time to prepare for their trial with proper training of their Pokémon. They had an idea of what the trial might entail—Kukui had told them that it would be a ghost type trial—but they were otherwise clueless.

The route to the Megamart was route 14. It was a path along the beach which, oddly enough, was coated in black sand. The trio tried to get an explanation from Rotomdex, but it was unable to understand the reasons why. Either way, Niko in particular found it fascinating, and relished in the unique training spot that day.

While his friends prepared for their upcoming trial, Warren sat back in the sand with his Pokémon and contemplated his future. While at the Aether House, he had decided that he would pursue the creation of an orphanage in Castelia City…at some point in his life. He spent much of that day figuring out the necessary knowledge and materials he would need to not just start the business, but when and where in the city. He would occasionally throw ideas out to his Pokémon to get another opinion. Generally, Poliwhirl or Leavanny would react, as Tranquill was off helping Trumbeak train, and Litleo was sleeping in the sand.

* * *

They had arrived at Thrifty Megamart later that evening. It was the last thing Niko and his friend expected.

A run-down building that looked like it was abandoned decades ago was positioned before them. To the right of the store was a small shack sitting at the edge of the torn-up road. And, coming out of it at the very moment they arrived, was Kaila.

"Hey!" Niko shouted, waving to their Alolan rival. "Alola, Kaila!"

"Alola" the Melemele native shouted as she waved back, hobbling over to her friends. "What a coincidence! Are you two here for the trial?"

"Actually…yeah," Charlotte said. "You?"

"I just finished it! Acerola won't be able to run it again until tomorrow, I don't think. But I cleared it! And it was kind of fun!"

"Kind of…?" Niko asked, remembering what little Kukui told him about this particular trial.

"Yeah! I was told it would be, but then I remembered what you told me, Niko. About not being afraid of things."

Niko looked at Kaila in surprise. The little girl really seemed to be maturing—and fast. Suddenly, because of him, she wasn't so afraid. "Wow. That's great, Kaila. I'm proud of you!"

"Thanks," Kaila said, blushing a little. "So—how have you three been?"

The trio and Kaila went down to the beach to reconnect, telling her stories of their adventures on Ula'ula Island thus far. In turn, she told them about hers, as well as reveal her team of Pokémon.

"So here's Ruffy!" she said, sending out the Dusk Form Lycanroc. "And Vikavolt…my Magmar that you helped me catch…a little Vulpix, and my Tsareena!"

"Tsareena…?" Charlotte asked, looking at the tall, grass type Pokémon before her. It was plant-like and humanoid, with dark purple arms, legs, and torso. On the top of its head was a light green calyx. The shortest leaf of the calyx extended slightly forward and then curved to the right, similar to bangs. The other three leaves resembled long hair extending nearly to the ground and had many yellowish-green markings. On top of the calyx was a growth resembling a small, purple crown with four thin yellow stripes. The lower part of its face was hidden behind a short ruff extending up from its body. Its legs were long and looked powerful. Its wide hips seemed to be made up of six segments.

" _Bzzzt, that's Tsareena, the Fruit Pokémon!_ " Rotomdex intervened, " _It's a grass type. A Pokémon with an aggressive personality and a mastery of kicking, it cackles every time it kicks an opponent!_ "

"Tsareena is _so_ cool!" Kaila said excitedly. "All of my Pokémon are! I'm really proud of them!"

"And they look really strong, too," Charlotte said excitedly. "Say…how about a battle? Two on two? We can battle right here on the beach."

"If my Pokémon are alright with it," she said, looking at the five Pokémon gathered around her, "so…sure why not?" Kaila then took several steps back to distance herself from Charlotte.

"This should be interesting," a light, very feminine voice whispered behind Niko, sending chills down his spine. He spun around quickly to see a tiny young woman giggling behind him. She had purple hair and purple eyes. She wore a patchy dress of black, dark purple, and light purple, with two long ribbons coming from around her back. A golden arm band sat on her left forearm and she wore light purple sandals. Her hair, at first, looked messy and unkempt, but upon a second glance looked almost clean. Two short ponytails dangled on each side of her head. "Hi!"

Niko was too busy catching his breath from being frightened to respond.

"Hey Acerola!" Kaila shouted, waving her hand.

"Oh, hi Kaila. Do you know these fine young people?" Acerola asked.

"Yup! They're my friends _and_ rivals!" Kaila said excitedly. "I'm about to battle one of them—Charlotte!"

"Ah, hi!" Acerola said with a kind smile. "I'm Acerola, the trial captain here. And you all are?"

"N-niko," Niko said while still panting.

"I'm Warren."

"Charlotte," she said, waving to Acerola.

"This should be a fun battle. If your trial is anything to go off of, that is," Acerola said while looking at Kaila. "Also…have you ever considered going into photography? Your pictures were amazing!"

"Thanks, Acerola," Kaila said, again blushing, "I appreciate that."

"So…you're the trial captain?" Niko asked, and Acerola nodded. "Kaila told us that you won't be able to take on new challengers today. That true?"

"Indeed it is! I need to set up the trial again. Do you three all plan on challenging it?"

"Only Charlotte and I," Niko said, now talking normally.

Acerola nodded, still happily. She didn't seem to express any other sort of emotion. "Gotcha! I'll see what I can do to arrange two trials tomorrow. I'll need to talk to the Totem and ask if it's alright with them, first. But I think it would be."

"You talk with your Totem?" Niko asked.

"Oh, often! We used to be partners, actually!" Acerola said, again with a smile. It was beginning to unnerve Niko, as it was sort of creepy.

"Gotcha. Well, thank you for letting us challenge the trial. In advance, I mean," Niko said before turning back to Charlotte and Kaila's battle. The two stared one another down before summoning their first Pokémon.

"Tsareena, I choose you!" Kaila shouted, pointing forward as the Fruit Pokémon stepped forward.

"Noivern, you're up!" Charlotte shouted, summoning the Sound Wave Pokémon. "You ready, buddy?" she asked. Noivern turned to her and nodded. "Use acrobatics!"

"Wait for it…" Kaila said in a manner similar to Niko. Noivern shot through the air, jerking left and right as a translucent white aura appeared around her. She then charged at Tsareena. "Trop kick!" Kaila shouted. Tsareena then leapt into the air and flipped forward, one of her purple legs glowing bright green as it slammed down on Noivern's head, launching her into the black sand below. "Now use stomp!" Tsareena slammed her foot onto Noivern's back, causing the Sound Wave Pokémon to screech out loudly before falling forward.

"Noivern, get up!" Charlotte shouted, slightly worried about her Pokémon. Noivern ultimately got back up, although she looked seriously injured. Tsareena then used magical leaf, spraying her opponent with glowing purple leaves. Noivern used wing attack to slash and slap them away, rendering the attack useless. "Now, use screech!"

Noivern bent low to the ground and uttered out an annoyingly loud sound from her ears, causing Tsareena to screech out loud as well, albeit not nearly as annoying as her opponent was. Noivern then took advantage and, wings glowing white, slashed at Tsareena with wing attack, knocking the Fruit Pokémon onto the ground. Tsareena spin back around as Noivern was turning back for round two.

"Trop kick!" Kaila commanded.

"Wing attack and then acrobatics!" Charlotte commanded, hoping to fake out Tsareena. This strategy ultimately worked, with Noivern quickly switching to acrobatics at the last moment and jerking to the left, causing Tsareena's trop kick to miss, and acrobatics to land successfully, knocking the Fruit Pokémon back onto the ground, this time in defeat.

"Tsareena is unable to battle, Noivern is the winner!" Warren, who was acting as judge, declared. "Kaila will now use her second and final Pokémon!"

"Ruffy, you ready?" Kaila asked her Lycanroc. Ruffy nodded, leaping forward to face Noivern, who was exhausted at this point. "Accelerock!"

"Screech!" Charlotte commanded. However, before Noivern could utter a sound, Ruffy charged forward and slammed into her, knocking her back and onto the ground. Noivern slowly but surely got back on her feet, but easily felt her balance lose stability under the loose sand. "Now use supersonic!"

"Block it with rock slide!" Kaila shouted. Ruffy summoned a wall of rocks to fall in front of him, blocking the red rings emitting from Noivern's massively round ears. "Now, throw them at Noivern with rock tomb!"

Ruffy howled, moving the rocks through the air and towards Noivern, who successfully evaded with acrobatics before charging at Ruffy with wing attack.

"Accelerock!" Kaila commanded. Ruffy tackled Noivern in the chest, knocking the air out of her and her body backwards into the black sand, now bathed in an orange glow from the setting sun.

"Noivern is unable to battle, Lycanroc is the winner! Charlotte will now use her second and final Pokémon!" Warren declared.

"Dartrix, I choose you!" Charlotte shouted, knowing that the Blade Quill Pokémon, off all of her remaining Pokémon, could handle Ruffy. "Use razor leaf!"

"Dodge it with accelerock and use rock slide!" Kaila commanded. Dartrix threw out several small, razor-sharp leaves at Ruffy, who quickly dodged them before bouncing around the makeshift field and charging at his opponent, rocks appearing around him as he prepared to throw them in the form of rock slide.

"Dodge them!" Charlotte commanded. Dartrix attempted to evade the onslaught of rocks, each in varying sizes, before getting knocked over by one. And then two. And then several more.

"Rock tomb!" Kaila cried out. Ruffy then used the rocks that had knocked Dartrix over and surrounded the Blade Quill Pokémon with them. "And…accelerock!"

Ruffy then rocketed towards Dartrix, breaking through the rock tomb he had made and crashing into his opponent, dragging Dartrix through the sand and towards the water.

"Razor leaf!" Charlotte commanded, which succeeded in throwing Ruffy off of her Pokémon. "Now, ominous wind!"

"Hmm," Acerola said, looking oddly pleased. "Interesting choice of move."

Dartrix furiously flapped his wings, conjuring a purple, chilling gust that hardly seemed to move Ruffy. In response, Kaila commanded her Pokémon to use rock slide, which caught Dartrix off guard and forced him into the ground.

"Dartrix!" Charlotte said as the sun disappeared under the horizon off in the distance, making way for the moon to rise.

However, it wasn't the moon that soon bathed them all in a silvery light. Underneath the rocks that Ruffy had covered Dartrix in, a silvery white light broke out, shattering the rocks and allowing a taller creature to rise in its wake.

The creature, like Dartrix, resembled an owl. The upper portion of its face was dark green with a thin, orange mask-like marking encircling his eyes, which were reddish-orange. He had a hooked dark green beak. The feathers covering his wings and back were brown, while his body was primarily white. The three feathers at the tip of each wing were structure similar to fingers and had lighter tips. The backs of his wings and torso were dotted with many white spots; the inside of each wing had a line of upside-down, reddish-orange triangles across the top. He had long legs. His tail consisted of three long, green leaves. A leafy hood covered his head and shoulders, and partially covered his face. Around his head, the hood formed many pointed projections that extended over his face. A single white feather with a red base extended from the top of his hood. In the center of his chest was a reddish-orange x-shape formed by dead leaves with two thin green vines extending from it.

"Decidueye…" Charlotte said slowly, watching her new Pokémon stand still in front of Ruffy. Like with Niko and Incineroar, Decidueye was roughly Charlotte's height, albeit an inch or so taller.

" _Bzzzt, that's a Decidueye!_ " Rotomdex declared, " _Known as the Arrow Quill Pokémon, it's a grass and ghost type! Decidueye can nock and fire an arrow at an enemy in a tenth of a second, so its battles are decided in the blink of an eye_."

Charlotte watched as Decidueye withdrew an arrow quill from its wing. A shadowy aura surrounded the tip of the arrow as it was drawn. With the blink of an eye, the arrow had struck Ruffy in his right shoulder, causing him to collapse onto the ground, wailing in pain. Decidueye then quickly rose into the air and, with a brisk flapping of his wings, conjured a vortex of razor leaves that quickly slashed and cut at Ruffy's fur, defeating him.

"Lycanroc is unable to battle," Warren said with surprise, "which makes Decidueye the winner! And the victory goes to Charlotte!"

"Decidueye!" Charlotte shouted, running over to the Arrow Quill Pokémon. "You did amazing! Well done!"

Decidueye nodded solemnly to his trainer, withdrawing his wings and holding them close to his torso, as if they were a cape. Before anyone else could approach her, Charlotte noticed Acerola in her peripherals.

"A Decidueye…wow!" the trial captain said excitedly. "I haven't seen on of these in a long time! You have a trial tomorrow…this should be fun!"

"You think?" Charlotte asked before realizing that Acerola was a ghost type specialist. "Oh! You train ghost types, right? Do you have any advice for me?"

Acerola thought about it before looking from Decidueye to his trainer. "Nope! Other than the poses for Ghostium-Z, but you'll have to learn those if you clear my trial!"

Charlotte nodded, understanding fully. "Well, thank you!"

"No problem, if you want to talk about ghosties, let me know! I could do it all day long!" Acerola said before turning around. "I'll see you three tomorrow!" she said in a sing-song voice before humming a weirdly off-tone tune, leaving Kaila and the trio alone on the beach in the evening.

"Great battle, Charlotte," Kaila said, "I had fun."

"Me too. That Tsareena is a tough Pokémon!"

"Well, hopefully we can get better. And next time, we'll win against Decidueye. I promise!" Kaila said, looking over at the Arrow Quill Pokémon, who simply seemed to smirk with pleasure.

"Looks like Decidueye is ready for that challenge!" Charlotte said. She noticed that her Pokémon, unlike Niko's, seemed to listen to her. In her mind, it boded well for the near future, as they looked forward to their trial at the Thrifty Megamart.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Decidueye really reminds me of Green Arrow from the DC universe, in more ways than one. That's the inspiration for the title of this episode, in case you didn't get it at first.**

 **Also, a close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on , the sister site to . If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	35. Spooky scary ghosts!

**Episode 35: Spooky scary ghosts**

Niko looked up at the Thrifty Megamart, Charlotte to his left and Warren to his right. It was sunset, and he had spent part of the morning training; preparing his Pokémon for their next trial, hoping to not lose again. He felt confident, but the possibility was always there.

They waited a few minutes before Acerola arrived behind them—once again scaring Niko on accident. She waited for the brown-haired trainer to regain his composure before introducing them to the trial.

"Ready?" she asked in a sing-song voice. Niko slowly nodded. How could she be so adorable, but also so creepy? "Alright! Well, the trial is straightforward. I like ghost Pokémon, and I like taking pictures. However, it's hard to get a picture of a ghost type Pokémon. There are a couple of special devices that have the ability to do this. One of them is your Rotomdex, whose picture function allows it to take pictures of virtually any Pokémon, including ghost types."

Charlotte nodded. After all, Decidueye was a ghost type.

"So the trial is just…taking pictures for you?" she asked.

"Nope!" Acerola said, "But that's all I'm going to tell you," she continued with a wink. "Good luck!"

"Uh…Niko you can go first," Charlotte said to her boyfriend, who might've been more frightened than she was. "I went first last time!"

Niko cursed in a low voice. "Got it," he said, "c'mon Rotomdex."

"Good luck!" Acerola said, waving to Niko as he disappeared into the Thrifty Megamart. "And have fun!"

 _Fun. Yeah, that's the word_ , Niko said bitterly. _Hopefully this isn't too bad._

* * *

The sliding double doors slammed shut behind Niko as he and Rotomdex stood inside the massive supermarket. Just like the outside, the inside was just as trashed and in ruins as the outside. Check-out lines were cluttered with rotted food and broken cardboard boxes. The aisle shelves, likely once filled to the brim with various foods, were either toppled over or half-broken, with canned food spilled out everywhere. Above him, lights flickered, and dimly at that.

"This is…just great," Niko said to himself, hardly remembering that Rotomdex was with him.

" _Bzzzt…so we just take pictures?_ " the talking pokédex asked.

"I guess so. If you see anything, let me know, alright?" he asked, looking around. From what he knew about ghost types, they could turn intangible and invisible at will, which made it difficult to capture them. Niko had only ever caught one ghost type Pokémon—his Lampent—and he remembered that, rarely but not unnaturally, the Lamp Pokémon moving out of eyesight and moving through other objects.

Suddenly, in the corner of his eye, he swore he saw a box move. "Rotomdex!" Niko shouted, turning to see a box sitting idly on a conveyor belt. The pokédex turned to him curiously.

" _What is it, Niko? Found something?_ "

"Come here," Niko said, grabbing Rotomdex by the arms. Rotomdex immediately went into camera mode, understanding what Niko was getting at. Niko looked around at the area surrounding the box and saw a Haunter floating there. It was smirking playfully.

Suddenly, the ghost Pokémon appeared in the market, and Niko could see it without the help of the pokédex.

"Incineroar, I choose you!" Niko shouted, summoning the Heel Pokémon. "Use darkest lariat!"

The massive bipedal feline instead charged at Haunter, his fangs baring with fire. Haunter dodged the fire fang before getting hit with a flamethrower from Incineroar's belt. Haunter was thrust into the wall on the opposite end of the supermarket and collapsed through the wall, becoming intangible in the process.

"Incineroar…thanks, but you could've done all of the with darkest lariat," Niko commented. Incineroar turned to him, almost angrily, and continued thrashing about, destroying everything in search of another opponent. Niko sighed, turning to Rotomdex. "Let's keep looking while he gets the energy out of his system."

The pokédex nodded and floated around in search of other signs of ghosts. All the while, Niko kept an eye on Incineroar. The Heel Pokémon showed no signs of wanting to hurt Niko, for whatever reason. Upon his evolution and during—most—of his training, he largely avoided Niko. After what seemed like forever, but in reality, was only several minutes, Rotomdex whirred over to Niko.

" _I f-found s-something!_ " it shouted. Niko grabbed ahold of his arms and held him outwards to get a view of the Pokémon in question.

And Rotomdex was right—floating in front of them, near the back door of the megamart, stood a Gengar. Once it realized it was noticed, the Shadow Pokémon revealed itself to the world. Incineroar noticed this and, unexpectedly, spun around in a fiery tornado. He missed Gengar, who dodged and retaliated with shadow ball, hitting Incineroar squarely in the face.

"You can do better!" Niko shouted at the Heel Pokémon, who was too busy using flamethrower to care about his trainer. "Ah, fine. That move works, too."

Incineroar then charged at Gengar, his feet glowing. Unfortunately for him, the double kick completely missed, causing the Heel Pokémon to crash into the wall behind Gengar, who responded with another shadow ball.

"Return," Niko commanded, realizing this wasn't going anywhere. "Vaporeon, I choose you!" he said, summoning the Bubble Jet Pokémon. "Use aurora beam!"

The rainbow-colored beam of energy collided with shadow ball, creating a small explosion in the back of the megamart. Vaporeon then charged forward to get a better angle from which to attack. She leapt onto an aisle shelf and, from there, summoned a water pulse from her mouth and fired it at Gengar, who responded with a shadow punch this time.

"Let's try it again, Vaporeon!" Niko shouted, trying to come up with a way around this. "Err…use water gun…over there!" Niko said, pointing to a Pikachu doll sitting on a table. Vaporeon nodded, spraying a small jet of water that struck the doll, knocking it into the wall, where it ricocheted off and fell to the floor pathetically. "Now! Water pulse!" Niko shouted, knowing Gengar was distracted.

Vaporeon leapt off of the shelf and high into the air, nearly reaching the ceiling. She then threw her head down, throwing a water pulse at Gengar, and forcing it into the ground. As she descended she followed up with an aurora beam, momentarily freezing the Shadow Pokémon's arm.

"Now, finish it off with water gun!" Niko shouted. Vaporeon obliged, firing off a burst of water that hit Gengar directly in the face. As soon as it could move, the Shadow Pokémon fled through a wall in the same manner as the Haunter before it. "Well done, buddy. Return, I might need you later," he said to Vaporeon.

Niko then looked around. _It's almost too quiet…is there anything else in this place?_ He turned to Rotomdex, whose screen was now depicting a frightened emotion. Niko then turned to see what the pokédex was seeing.

Standing in front of them, at the back door, was Acerola herself. Or, at least it looked like her.

"Do you wish to continue?" she asked in an uncharacteristically emotionless voice.

Niko, now frightened out of his mind, nodded slowly.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Again, Niko nodded.

"Are you sure you want to continue with this trial?"

"…yes. Yes, I do," Niko said, feeling his confidence slowly, but surely, return to him. Acerola then disappeared, causing him to scream.

" _Niko quiet down!_ " Rotomdex shouted. However, it too shut up when they both noticed the door behind Acerola open into a small, dimly lit room.

Slowly, Niko and Rotomdex walked inside. As they did, the door slammed shut behind him, trapping him inside whatever was in there.

Niko beckoned for Rotomdex, who slowly floated down, firing up his camera function. Niko then looked around before noticing an unfamiliar, and definitely terrifying-looking Pokémon standing in front of the door.

It was a small, rag-like Pokémon with beady black eyes through holes in the bottom of its body. The fringe of an amorphous foot or lower body appeared to be visible under the hem of the rag. The rag itself looked akin to a Pikachu, as it was yellow with black-tipped ears, and a face that looked like it was drawn with crayons. Its tail was, literally, a stick resembling a lightning bolt.

Niko screamed as he let go of Rotomdex, inadvertently taking a picture of the strange Pokémon. It then revealed itself to be nearly three feet in height and was slowly inching towards Niko. Just as he reflexively pulled out a pokéball to defend himself, an orange aura burst around the Pokémon, revealing it to be the Totem Pokémon of the trial.

" _Bzzzt, this is a Mimikyu, the Disguise Pokémon! A ghost and fairy type! Although it's a quiet, lonely Pokémon, if you try to look at what's under its rag, it will become agitated and resist violently._ "

"Incineroar, I choose you!" Niko shouted, summoning the Heel Pokémon. "Darkest Lariat, let's go!"

Instead, Incineroar charged at the Totem Pokémon, erroneously believing that he could take on the Disguise Pokémon in close combat. Mimikyu slid to the right, dodging the attack before spinning through the air and slapping Incineroar in the back with a shadowy, three-fingered claw. Incineroar crashed into the door before swiftly getting back up and turning to Mimikyu. He then fired off a flamethrower from the centerpiece of his belt, nearly hitting the Disguise Pokémon. Niko continued to watch at Incineroar, in the confined space that they were in, did battle with the Mimikyu, refusing to give in.

Suddenly, out of the wall a large Jellicent appeared, immediately hitting Incineroar in the side with a water pulse, knocking the Heel Pokémon to the ground. Already damaged from his previous battle with Haunter and Gengar, he struggled to get back up. When he did, he spun around in a fiery tornado, hitting Mimikyu before getting blasted with a second water pulse from the Ally Jellicent. Incineroar was thrown against a wall and, severely damaged by the attack, slid onto the ground in defeat.

"Return," Niko said. "Vaporeon, I choose you! Use water pulse!"

Mimikyu slashed at the pulsating orb of water, causing it to burst, spraying water everywhere and calming the embers from Incineroar's constant flamethrowers. Niko and Vaporeon then continued their attacks, alternating between aurora beam and water pulse. Each time, Mimikyu would block the attack with either slash or shadow claw. Eventually, the Totem found an opening and struck at Vaporeon with what Niko believed to be a fairy-type move called play rough. Jellicent used night shade, summoning a dark purple wave of spectral energy at the Bubble Jet Pokémon.

"Water pulse on the ground!" Niko shouted. Once it splashed everywhere, Niko commanded her to use aurora beam in the same spot, freezing the ground and causing Mimikyu to slip. "Now, use water pulse up close!"

Vaporeon fired off the water pulse, rocketing Mimikyu backwards and into the back wall of the room. However, the Disguise Pokémon was not yet out of the battle, and neither was its ally. Jellicent then used another night shade, which Vaporeon unsuccessfully evaded, getting slammed in the side by the wave of energy and slipping on the very ice she created. Mimikyu took this opportunity to then finish off Vaporeon with a shadow claw.

"Return," Niko said, biting his finger. "Trumbeak or Ribombee…which one. It's ghosts, so Ribombee has more moves he can use. But…that's right! Ribombee, I choose you!" Niko shouted, summoning the Bee Fly Pokémon. "I'm relying on you now, use energy ball on the Jellicent!"

The tiny Pokémon summoned a massively green ball of pure, compact energy and fired it at Jellicent, who was not quick enough to respond with water pulse and was sent flying back through the wall. Totem Mimikyu, clearly upset by this, rocketed forward and slashed at Ribombee with shadow claw. However, due to his small size, Ribombee managed to dodge the move and fire a second energy ball at Mimikyu's side, knocking the Disguise Pokémon to the ground.

"Now!" Niko shouted, "Use pollen puff!"

Ribombee lifted his arms, summoning small pollen particles into a compacted ball and throwing it at Mimikyu, who blocked the attack with slash. The Totem then shot into the air and slashed at Ribombee, this time successfully, and sent the Bee Fly Pokémon crashing into the ground.

"Return," Niko said, gritting his teeth. _One left_. "It's all on you, Trumbeak!" Niko shouted. "Use drill peck!"

The Bugle Beak Pokémon charged forward, his beak glowing a shining white color. Mimikyu attempted to use shadow claw, but the attack simply fazed Trumbeak as he powerfully pecked at the Disguise Pokémon's side, nearly tearing its rag. Mimikyu then used an ordinary slash move, but it was blocked by rock smash. Trumbeak grabbed onto Mimikyu's claw with his talon before diving forward and using drill peck a second time, now nearly poking a hole in the Totem's disguise.

Mimikyu shrieked, and Niko pulled out an unused Z-crystal from his bag.

"Trumbeak," he said, holding up Flyinium-Z. "Let's finish this."

Trumbeak nodded, landing in front of his trainer to perform similar poses with their arms. Trumbeak then shot into the air, nearly shattering the ceiling above them.

"SUPERSONIC SKYSTRIKE!" Niko cried out. Trumbeak then plummeted downwards, feeling the Z-energy coursing through him. He crashed into Mimikyu, shattering the ground around them. Trumbeak then swooped back into the air, looking back down at the damage he had caused. It was the first time he had successfully used the Z-move.

Niko stared at the Mimikyu, who looked unable to even move. He slowly, but surely, made his way over to the Totem Pokémon, and reached his hand out.

"Hey there, nice battle. You almost beat me," he said with a smirk. Mimikyu noticed this and angrily slapped his hand away before getting up on its own. "Noted. Well, I guess I cleared this trial, right?"

The Totem nodded, and Niko left the trial site with Trumbeak flying above him.

* * *

Charlotte and Rotomdex then entered the Thrifty Megamart. Niko told her nothing, and Rotomdex swore that it wouldn't say anything either (the pokédex later noted that it was acting for much of Charlotte's trial, as a way of giving her the same experience Niko had had).

"So pictures…right," Charlotte said as she looked around, pokéball in hand. At first, she didn't see anything of note around, and continued onwards. "I need to pay attention to anything that doesn't look right. Ghosts have a tendency of doing that," she continued saying aloud to herself. Like Niko, she had also owned a ghost type—her third, in fact—and remembered Frillish occasionally playing pranks on her while in Unova and in Kalos.

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, she saw a can of expired milk crash onto the ground, splitting upon as it hit the tiled floor. Charlotte looked away briefly, out of disgust and to beckon Rotomdex, who floated over to her. Grabbing the pokédex's arms, she gazed onto the screen to see a Gastly floating there, laughing maniacally.

"Flaaffy, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning the Wool Pokémon. "Use electro ball!" she shouted, pointing a finger forward. His tail alight with electricity, Flaaffy shot the electro ball at Gastly, who dodged it. The attack hit an aisle shelf, blowing a very obvious hole in its center. "Cotton spore!"

Flaaffy summoned small, pink balls of wool from his body, forcing them to float through the air towards Gastly, who seemed unfazed by them. However, it was merely a distraction while Flaaffy summoned a thunder wave, concentrated directly at the Gas Pokémon, halting it in its tracks.

"Electro ball once more!" Charlotte commanded. Flaaffy once again fired off the ball of electricity, this time hitting Gastly and launching it through the same hole in the shelves as before. "Well done!" she said, hi-fiving the Wool Pokémon. "Let's keep going now."

With Flaaffy and Rotomdex by her side, Charlotte continued searching for more ghost Pokémon. Eventually, she made it to the back of the megamart, and seemed confused by the lack of ghosts.

"I don't see or hear anything out of the ordinary," she said when, suddenly in the corner of her eye, she saw a figure standing there.

She screamed upon seeing Acerola standing there with a wickedly creepy smile on her face. However, unlike with Niko, Acerola's face began to contort and distort, eventually turning into a face with massive red, glowing eyes and a wide, toothy grin.

"Fl-flaaffy…" Charlotte muttered. "I—I don't think that's r-real…"

Charlotte was right: the Acerola-illusion transformed into a Gengar nearly as tall as she was. It then charged for them, its fist alight with glowing spectral energy. Flaaffy instinctively fired off a concentrated thunder wave to temporarily paralyze the Gengar before smacking it in the stomach with an electro ball. The resulting explosion rocketed him and Charlotte in one direction, and the Gengar in another.

Upon regaining consciousness minutes later, Charlotte noticed that the door was open. Curious, she and Flaaffy walked inside, only to have the door closed on them, just like with Niko. She shuttered as Rotomdex, through with the acting, fell into her arms and turned her towards the door, revealing Totem Mimikyu.

"AHHH!" Charlotte shouted, not expecting to see something so large, so close to her. The Totem was several feet tall and covered entirely in a rag with a crayoned-on face that resembled Pikachu's. "Flaaffy, electro ball!" she shouted as the orange aura erupted around Totem Mimikyu. "What's that?" she asked in a terrified tone to Rotomdex as her Pokémon did battle with the Totem. Rotomdex then proceeded to explain Mimikyu's pokédex entry to Charlotte, giving her a better idea of her new opponent. "Gotcha. Flaaffy, use thunder wave!"

Just before the Wool Pokémon was able to fire off the concentrated wave of electricity, a puppet-like Pokémon struck him from behind, throwing him forward where he met Mimikyu's shadow claw, which uppercut him and sent Flaaffy high into the air. He crashed into the ground in defeat. Totem Mimikyu and Ally Banette then turned to Charlotte, looking at her menacingly.

"Two on one, then? Fine. Decidueye, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning the Arrow Quill Pokémon. "Let's win this, and quickly. Spirit Shackle!"

Decidueye, as quickly as he could, withdrew a spectral arrow and fired it at Ally Banette, just as the Marionette Pokémon fired several small blue balls of fire at the dark green owl. Decidueye reeled from the burns inflicted on him, which gave Totem Mimikyu an opening to strike him with shadow claw. Decidueye then collapsed onto one knee, clearly in pain from the attack.

"You've got this, remember?" she assured her Pokémon. "We wouldn't have these special Z-crystals without you," she then remembered the Decidium-Z in her bag. Would it work? _I don't know the name of the attack, or the poses…wait, if it isn't their primary type, but it's specifically for them, then wouldn't it be their secondary? Decidium-Z is a ghost type move!_ Charlotte reasoned as Decidueye fired off a spirit shackle at Totem Mimikyu, who ripped through it with shadow claw and proceeded to play rough with its opponent.

Charlotte then tried to think of what could possibly be a pose for a ghost type move. _Ghosts scare people, right?_ She figured. _So I have to look like I'm scaring someone…_ she placed the Decidium-Z in her white Z-ring while considering the other pose. Typically, Z-moves had two or more poses associated with them. _All of our Z-moves prior to this have typically been related to how certain type of Pokémon move…_ she thought of Grassium-Z and Fightinium-Z, in particular. _So…ghosts moves through the air…they float…aimlessly._

"I've got it!" she shouted, her Z-ring glowing. "DECIDUEYE!" she shouted, gathering her now-injured Pokémon's attention. "Let's win this! Use your Z-move!"

Decidueye began to glow a ghastly purple color before flying towards the ceiling. Suddenly, several arrows appeared in a half-circle around him, all pointed away from Decidueye. Then, on his command, all of them then changed direction to point at Totem Mimikyu.

He then fired them, drowning Mimikyu in spectral arrows. The resulting explosion sent Charlotte flying backwards, into the wall behind her. However, she landed against something softer than a wall.

Decidueye had caught her and folded her up in his wings.

Upon inspecting the damage done, Charlotte found Totem Mimikyu slowly getting up. It shook its bent, tilted head, as if upset by something. However, it opened the door behind it, allowing Charlotte and Decidueye to leave. She had cleared the trial.

* * *

"Congrats! To both of you!" Acerola said happily. It was now evening, and the trio stood with the Trial Captain outside of the dimly lit Thrifty Megamart. "Here, as your reward—Ghostium-Z," she said, handing the couple two grayish-pink Z-crystals with the symbol of a ghost emblazoned on the front. She then winked in an awfully creepy fashion to Charlotte. "From what you told me, you seem to know how to perform this Z-move now, right?"

Charlotte, embarrassed, nodded sheepishly. "…yup."

"Then let's see it!" Acerola said, clapping her hands.

Charlotte then repeated the Z-move's poses, eventually ending with a scary look in her eyes and her hands up high, as if she was about to grab someone. Niko and Warren chuckled under their breath, and Acerola smirked.

"Correct! I'm glad you managed to figure that out. Also…the move is called Sinister Arrow Raid, just so you know," she said, again with the creepy wink.

"Th—thanks, Acerola."

"So now they've completed both trials on Ula'ula," Warren said, "where's the Grand Trial located?"

"Oh!" Acerola said excitedly. "That's with Uncle Nanu!"

" _Uncle_ Nanu?" Niko, Charlotte, and Warren said simultaneously. It was hard to imagine Acerola and Nanu being related. The two seemed completely unlike one another.

"Well, not technically. I'm an orphan, you see. Nanu was just a close friend, and he's old enough to be my uncle, anyways!" she said with a freakish laugh. "Anyway, he either has his trials in Malie City, or at Po Town."

"Po…Town…?" Niko asked.

"Mhmm!" Acerola nodded. "It's at the northwestern end of Ula'ula Island. Keep going north of Aether House, along the shore, until you get to Ula'ula Meadow. Then, from there, go along route 17 until you see a giant concrete wall! That's Po Town!"

"Gotcha. How long should that take?" Warren asked.

"Hmm…about a week, I'd say!" Acerola said excitedly. "I might be able to join you! That'd be fun!"

"Well, only if you can…" Warren said. He'd prefer to not have the creepy orphan girl around much longer.

"It's up to Uncle Nanu! I'll ask him!" Acerola said. "In the meantime, why don't you stay with me!"

"We…we don't want to impose…" Niko said.

"Oh, you're not. Plus, you don't want spooky scary ghosts to eat your dreams while you sleep out here! It gets pretty crazy at night on these black sands, let me tell you!" Acerola said while walking to her little shack near the water. "But…it's up to you."

Frightened out of their minds, the trio quickly picked up the pace and caught up with Acerola, electing to spend the night at her shack before heading north to Po Town.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Decidueye really reminds me of Green Arrow from the DC universe, in more ways than one. That's the inspiration for the title of this episode, in case you didn't get it at first.**

 **Also, a close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on , the sister site to . If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	36. Grampa Drampa!

**Episode 36: Grampa Drampa!**

After Acerola's Trial Niko, Charlotte, and Warren spent some time on the black sands beach near the Thrifty Megamart before journeying north to their next destination: Po Town, and their Grand Trial with Nanu. The trip would take roughly a week, and they wanted to enjoy it a little.

Ula'ula Island, they realized while floating along route 15 on Charlotte's Lapras, was not only a massive island, but also one of the more beautiful islands in Alola. It was also the most geographically diverse, and Niko at least appreciated it, since it seemed like a microcosm of a much larger region that he had visited previously, such as Hoenn or Unova. Deserts, snow-capped mountains, mountainous regions, and forested paths all described Ula'ula Island equally accurately. It made them wish that there were more trials on this island, in fact.

The first leg of their trip to Po Town was largely on the water. Route 15 took them past the Aether House and then onto the water, as there was no walkable pathway forward northwest of the orphanage. Before trekking in that direction, Warren stopped by the Aether House to greet Gladion and the three Sandshrew he had helped. He inquired a little more into the mechanics of operating an orphanage with Gladion and felt comfortable with his new career decision coming out of the spontaneous meeting.

After crossing route 15, the trio landed on the beaches of route 16 that evening, deciding to once again rest on a beach before continuing on. There, the trio continued their training. Like before, Niko trained Incineroar separately from his other three Pokémon. However, the tone was different this time. Incineroar still didn't listen to Niko, but he seemed more purposeful in his training. In a way, he sort of did whatever he wanted to, and Niko allowed him to.

Trumbeak's training got more intense, just the way he wanted it to be. Coming off of his win in Acerola's Trial, he began to feel more confident in himself and his abilities—not that he hadn't before, only more so. Vaporeon and Ribombee felt similarly, only the former for different reasons-she had lost against Totem Mimikyu. It was also, if Niko was certain, one of her only loses since hatching from JJ's egg. Realizing that, Niko sat her down that first evening on route 16, right on the edge of the water, and explained to her the benefits of losing.

He used examples from his own past—his loss to Hunter in the Sinnoh League, or both losses to Palmer on Battle Island—that while in the short term destroyed him, in the long term they made him a far more powerful trainer because they gave him purpose.

"I wouldn't be here today if I had lost to them. I wouldn't have ever met you, because JJ might not have come to Alola. Think about that, buddy—the idea that we might've not been a team."

Vaporeon looked up at Niko, her eyes shiny, and nodded.

"Losing sucks, I know that all too well. But it _will_ make you stronger, but only if you let it," he then poked Vaporeon's nose. "I believe in you. Always have. And like I said—you come from a family of winners. JJ's Umbreon was a strong Pokémon, even though he never got into battling professionally."

Vaporeon, welling up with emotion, laid her head against Niko's shoulder as they looked out onto the water. He got the feeling that she felt better.

Charlotte, sitting by the fire and sketching a drawing of Flaaffy, looked over at her boyfriend with his Pokémon and couldn't help but smile. Somehow, every day he reminded her of why they were in a relationship.

She had an easier time with her training than Niko. Knowing that only two of her Pokémon had competed in the trial at the Thrifty Megamart, the other four trained harder than ever before. Salazzle was clearly getting faster, often keeping up with the only Pokémon in their group faster than her—Niko's Ribombee. Lapras was getting stronger, as well as more accustomed to training and battling on land, which surprised and delighted her trainer. Noivern was getting better at her acrobatics move, as well as attempting to learn air slash.

Lastly, there was Mudbray. Charlotte herself was now getting used to the Donkey Pokémon, who up until they got to the Aether House was occasionally carrying their bags. She hadn't yet admitted to Niko her issues surrounding the ground type, but she was feeling more comfortable with her decision to capture it. In addition, Mudbray was familiarizing himself with his teammates, specifically Flaaffy. According to foreign conversations the two were having, the Donkey Pokémon seemed to be oddly funny, entertaining the Wool Pokémon during their beach training. Charlotte couldn't help but find joy in watching the two interact with one another.

* * *

The next morning, the trio continued north through route 16 and towards Ula'ula Meadow. As soon as they left the beach Niko noticed a small berry bush nearby. He walked up to it and saw small red and blue berries scattered on the bush.

"I didn't know multiple berries _could_ grow on these bushes," Niko said curiously, crouching down to pick some from the bush. He turned to Vaporeon, who was sitting outside of her pokéball at the moment and gave her some. "Here, try them," Niko held out his palm, realizing he hadn't fed the young Pokémon too many raw berries during their time together. She smiled jovially. "I take it you like them?" he asked. Vaporeon nodded. "Noted, then."

As they were about to enter the meadow, Niko noticed a small, pearly white compartment sitting to the east, in the direction of the mountains. It reminded him of the Aether House, only smaller and less glamorous. Saying nothing more, he continued onwards with Warren and Charlotte.

"So…Rotomdex," Charlotte asked, "what do you do in your free time, while we're training and stuff?" it made all three of them realize that they hadn't asked much about the talking pokédex's personal life—if it had one, that is.

" _Bzzzt…I read and gather more information for you three_ ," Rotomdex said in a calm, cordial tone.

"What do you take information from?" Warren asked, wondering if any of Rotomdex's sources might be of use to him in the future.

" _Old pokédex guides from other regions, scientific journals written by professors like Kukui and Burnet, and other articles of the sort. Much of it is on the internet, and I search and compile that information into smaller, more digestible bits for users like yourselves_."

"That's interesting," Niko admitted. "I had no idea. I figured Kukui just input all of that information himself."

" _He used to, if memory serves. But it made more sense to improve my AI to include a research function. This might be useful if, say, an Alolan native like Kaila encounters a Pokémon from, say, the Sinnoh region that isn't native to Alola. I can grab that data for her use if I need to._ "

They were on their third of the four Alolan Islands, and only now had the trio really asked any questions of Rotomdex. Niko felt slightly guilty—the talking pokédex, while sometimes sassy, was incredibly helpful to him and Charlotte. "Sorry we didn't ask you any of this before."

" _Why are you apologizing, Niko?_ " Rotomdex asked.

"Because you've been with us for so long now and I feel like we're only now getting to know you."

" _Niko…I'm a robot. And…while I don't remember much of my past users, it is rare that trainers ask me these sorts of questions. I am touched that you even care to know_."

Niko turned to Charlotte and smiled, tacitly thanking her for starting the conversation.

Charlotte then stopped in her tracks as they looked out into the world in front of them. They were now at the edge of a massive field of flowers with wooden walkways standing a foot or so above the fields. It was slightly foggy towards the ground, but not thick enough to obscure the red flowers covering the ground.

"It's…beautiful," Charlotte said with wonder. She walked onto the nearest wooden plank and looked around, admiring the flowers. "They kinda look like the ones…"

"…from Melemele Meadow. Yeah!" Niko said, standing next to his girlfriend. "Ribombee, I choose you!" he said, summoning the Bee Fly Pokémon, who seemed immediately at ease upon seeing the flowers. He floated around them, sniffing them and, apparently, gathering pollen from them as well. Niko hadn't seen the tiny Pokémon in his natural habitat—after all, he caught Ribombee on a fluke.

" _Bzzzt…these red flowers produce a red nectar that changes the form of Oricorio into the Baile Style_ ," Rotomdex explained. Judging from the tone of its voice, it seemed to appreciate the chat it had had with the trio earlier.

"Oh, right," Niko said, "Oricorio can change form, right?" Rotomdex nodded. "Interesting," it made him think of how he might have used the different forms of the Pokémon, had he been successful in capturing it.

Out of the corner of his eye, Niko thought he saw something long, and large, moving through the flowers. It was clear that neither Charlotte nor Warren noticed it. Ribombee seemed to have as well but was more attracted to the red flowers to care. Rotomdex almost certainly noticed it, as it looked like the pokédex was taking down information based on what it saw.

"I think we rest here for the night," Charlotte suggested, "it has a…rejuvenating feel to it, y'know?"

"You just like the flowers, don't you?" Niko said with a teasing voice. Charlotte nodded, blushing a little. "Fair enough. I'd like to check the place out a bit, too."

His girlfriend tilted her head at this. "Really?" it was unusual, at least to her, to hear Niko wanting to not train, but explore.

"I get the feeling that this is not just a unique flower field," Niko said, turning in the direction he saw the large Pokémon. "There's something else here."

" _Bzzzt…I get that sense too_ ," Rotomdex said as well.

"Then you can go and explore, and Warren and I will set up camp. Sound good?" Charlotte asked. "You set up when we were at the beach so I could start training, so it's only fair."

Niko leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Thanks, I won't go too far!" he said, turning to Rotomdex, "Wanna join me?"

" _Sure_ ," the pokédex said, and the two went off, with Ribombee following despite his clear interest in the flowers.

"You can stay if you want, buddy," Niko said. Ribombee looked up at his trainer, as if he felt like he would let Niko down. "It's fine, you don't get this opportunity very often. Do your thing," Ribombee's mouth stretched wide as he fluttered off to the nearest flower. This made Niko smile in turn as well—seeing his Pokémon enjoy the world around them as much as he and his friends did.

" _I take it you want to find that big Pokémon_ ," Rotomdex asked when they were out of earshot.

"Yup. I didn't think it would be wise to bring a caravan of people and Pokémon. Plus, if it attacks us I have somewhere to run," Niko said, having thought this through. "Also…it's nice to just get away every now and then."

" _I can imagine, especially with a mate_ ," Rotomdex said in clear reference to Charlotte.

"What…? No, not really. I really like her and wouldn't want to just _leave_ her. But everyone needs some alone time. I try to give that to her whenever possible, too. Anyway…" Niko said, trying to change the subject, "did you get a good glimpse of that Pokémon?"

" _Yes, I took a picture_ ," Rotomdex said, flying into Niko's hands so he could view it. It was slightly blurry—a mixture of the thin fog and the fact that Rotomdex took the picture while moving. In it was a dragon-like creature with a long, blue-green neck and long white hair that looked similar to a mop. Niko didn't see much else other than its thick blue-green body and its thick, wavy tail.

"What is this…?" Niko asked curiously. "It looks pretty cool, actually."

" _If I'm correct, then that's a Drampa. It's a normal and dragon type Pokémon_ ," Rotomdex explained. " _I haven't compiled much information on it yet but will do so soon so you can get a more accurate idea of what you're dealing with_."

"I think we should try and locate it, first. Is it native to this area?"

" _Normally, no. My records indicate that it's native to Mount Lanakila, actually_."

Niko nodded. It seemed odd, then, that they'd find something like a Drampa out here, in a flower field.

He then noticed that they were on the edge of Ula'ula Meadow. Now, they were at the end of the forest and overlooking a lake. In the middle of the lake was a large, coliseum-like structure with a stone bridge running over the water, which now looked more like a moat than a lake.

"Where is this?" Niko asked.

" _It's the Lake of the Sunne, I believe,_ " Rotomdex explained, " _According to records, it seems to have a connection to the Legendary Pokémon of Alola—Solgaleo in particular. It also supposedly forms a perfect circle_."

"Maybe the Drampa is here," Niko said. The two continued on, walking across the bridge and into the structure. There was only one pathway through—a large, high-ceiling hallway that seemed to go on for miles, when in reality it only took ten minutes at most. At the end of the hallway was a stairway that went upwards. Niko began climbing it until, at the top, he saw the interior of the structure.

In the center of the structure was a circular platform with another set of stairs further back that led to a spot in the middle. There, oddly enough, rested a large Drampa.

"That's it…" Niko whispered to Rotomdex, "what's it doing here?"

" _No idea_ ," Rotomdex said, albeit not in a whisper. Drampa stirred, clearly having heard them. " _Oops_."

"Great…" Niko said as soon as the Drampa noticed them. "Hi! H-how are you…?"

The Drampa then stood up, its head resting high above its torso due to its long neck. It looked angry.

"L-look, I saw you in the Ula'ula Meadow and wanted to see what you were. I'm not from around here and want to learn more about other Pokémon," Niko said, taking a step back and nearly falling down the stairs. Drampa hardly seemed to care, as it slowly moved forward. Niko looked back to see the stairs. As he was about to make his way down, he turned back to see Drampa right in front of him. The surprise caught him off guard, causing him to lose his balance and fall down the stairs.

" _Niko!_ " Rotomdex shouted, floating down to try and grab his user. However, he noticed something massive leap over him and under Niko, catching him on its back.

It was the Drampa.

"What?"

" _What?_ "

Niko slid off of Drampa and looked up at it. "You…saved me? Why?"

Drampa stared at Niko with its purely pink eyes. Niko blinked, suddenly feeling an odd connection with the Pokémon.

" _Drampa, the Placid Pokémon. Normal and Dragon type. It has a compassionate personality, but if it is angered, it completely destroys its surroundings with its intense breath_ ," Rotomdex said before adding, " _This particular Drampa looks old…the images of a normal-looking Drampa show less pale colors_."

Niko looked at the image of another Drampa, and the one standing before him. This Drampa's skin had a paler neck and paler yellow eyebrows. Its white hair was also messier and less groomed, giving it a less than appealing appearance.

He then began to think. First off—why would a Drampa be so far away from its home? Also, why would it be so old and away from its home? Thirdly, why would it be at the Lake of the Sunne, a place dedicated to Solgaleo?

Niko then asked the Drampa these questions. The Placid Pokémon nodded after each one, as an elderly man might with incredible interest. It then turned towards the center of the lake and, scooping Niko onto its back, began to take flight.

"Woah!" Niko shouted, gripping Drampa's neck. The dragon huffed, clearly upset by the intense grabbing of its body. "Sorry…" Niko said, loosening his hold on the Pokémon. They landed on the center platform, where Niko got off and looked around.

There wasn't much there, other than a small rock sitting towards the center. Upon closer look, Niko noticed it was a solidified chunk of stardust.

"What the hell…?" Niko asked. Drampa didn't seem upset by his reaction to this. "What…is this?"

Drampa looked directly up into the sky. Niko also did, but didn't see anything other than the moon rising, as it was now evening. Confused, Niko picked up the stardust, to which Drampa reacted furiously.

"Oh! Sorry," he put it down, "I take it this is yours?"

Drampa shook its head.

"It's not yours…is it a friend's…?"

Drampa was silent for a moment before nodding.

"A friend's stardust. Were you close with this friend?"

To this, Drampa nodded, and Niko saw a tear leaving its pink eye.

"Oh…a really close friend. Was it younger than you?"

Drampa nodded again, this time solemnly.

"So, you lost your friend…here, I guess, and it left this stardust for you," everything was coming together now. This Drampa was either waiting for its friend to come back or mourning the loss of a friend. Niko asked Drampa about both possibilities. The Placid Pokémon responded to the latter. "Oh…you lost someone close to you. Then…why are you showing me this?"

" _It seems that Drampa trusts you, Niko,_ " Rotomdex said.

"But it doesn't even know me."

" _Drampa generally care about people, but it seems that this one just wants someone to talk to. It feels lonely._ "

"Well, I definitely get that. The loneliness and the feeling of loss. I'm a trainer, actually, and I have Pokémon and have known others who've lost someone. I almost lost one of my own Pokémon once, actually," Drampa perked up at this. "Yeah, my Rampardos. He was in a battle with this jerk trainer and was stabbed in the stomach," Niko pointed his fingers towards his stomach to represent the jab that Hunter's Toxicroak took to his Pokémon. "And then, a couple months later, I lost my Dad."

Drampa stared at Niko, intently listening.

"It was rough. I was already going through a lot in my head, and that felt like the nail in the coffin…figuratively speaking," he was now sitting down in front of Drampa. "I later got through it, with the help of the friends I'm currently travelling with, and the Pokémon that I had at the time. I want to be one of the strongest trainers out there, and I could have wished my Dad could see me achieve that, you know?

"But I know that, wherever he is, he's proud of me. Because he cares, and he loves me. Now, I don't know your friend, but I bet they care about you too, and wouldn't want you to constantly mourn their death. You need to live your life the way you want to, and not just sit around with some stardust," he said in the as politely as possible, understanding that talking about death wasn't easy for everyone, while recognizing that everyone handles it differently.

Drampa seemed to understand Niko's point, even nodding when he finished speaking. However, it didn't stop the Placid Pokémon from shedding more tears.

"One of the Pokémon that I currently own—my Trumbeak—also lost some loved ones, I think," Niko said, pulling out the pokéball containing the Bugle Beak Pokémon. "That's why he's with me, now. He wants to get stronger, I think maybe to make his lost ones proud. Or…maybe he just likes kicking ass," Niko said with a chuckle, which made Drampa smile.

They sat there for a while in silence, Drampa looking up at the silvery moon in the sky. Niko continued to study the Placid Pokémon. He had never met a Pokémon that looked as rugged as Drampa, nor as old. It was a unique creature.

Eventually, Niko spoke again. "Say, do you like battling?"

Drampa turned to him and nodded.

"…have you done it in a while?" Niko asked, in reference to the Pokémon's age, as well as its lengthy mourning stage. Drampa eventually nodded its head. It hadn't battled in a long time. "Would you like to?" Drampa perked up its head and nodded a second time. "Alright then. Just for fun. Keep this in mind—I don't typically battle well against dragons, but don't go easy on me okay?"

Drampa smiled as it took a battle stance. Niko then summoned Trumbeak.

"Let's go!" Niko shouted to the Bugle Beak Pokémon. "Use drill peck!"

Drampa responded by releasing a purple and orange stream of fire from its mouth. Dragonbreath. Trumbeak ripped through the attack and struck Drampa in the side of the neck, causing it to wail out loud.

"Now, rock smash!" Niko followed up. Trumbeak slammed his talon on Drampa's body with his full force. The Placid Pokémon then swung its head in retaliation, unexpectedly hitting Trumbeak and launching him off of the central platform and towards the lake. "Get back up and use echoed voice!" Niko commanded.

Trumbeak fluttered back up and released a massive wailing sound. In response, Drampa's pink eyes started glowing, causing small psychic wavs to emit from them and hit Trumbeak, forcing him onto the stone platform. Trumbeak struggled to get back up and Niko figured this battle was ending soon.

"Having fun, Drampa?" Niko asked. Drampa turned to Niko and, for the first time since they met over an hour ago, showed ambition in its eyes. He then withdrew a luxury ball—the same one he had obtained in the Kalos region. "Wanna keep doing it?"

Drampa nodded, turning to Trumbeak and helping him back up. Once Trumbeak was on its feet, Niko tossed the luxury ball over to Drampa. A red light engulfed it and, soon enough, it was encased in the black and gold pokéball. Trumbeak looked at it curiously, having only seen a fast ball and pokéball before.

Eventually it clicked, and Niko had caught the Drampa.

* * *

"Niko!" Charlotte shouted, running over to Niko and hugging him tightly. "Where have you been? It's late, and I've been worried!"

Niko held up the luxury ball. "It's fine. Rotomdex and I went out to catch a Pokémon," he then explained seeing the Drampa, following it, and eventually capturing it. Then, he sent out the Placid Pokémon. "Everyone, meet Drampa. Drampa, this is my girlfriend Charlotte, and my friend Warren. Also, these are your other teammates. You've met Trumbeak, but this is Vaporeon, Ribombee, and the cat over there is Incineroar," Niko said, referencing the Heel Pokémon who elected to eat alone for the evening.

Drampa looked around at everyone and immediately felt at home, as Niko perceived it. He then turned to Charlotte.

"I'm sorry I was gone so long, I—" Niko felt Charlotte's lips touch his cheek.

"You did a good thing, Niko," she said joyfully. "I'm proud of you. I think Drampa will do well under your care."

"I hope so," Niko said, watching Drampa introduce himself to Vaporeon—now Niko's oldest and youngest Pokémon by age interact with one another. The dragon seemed to get along quite well with Vaporeon.

"Niko! This Pokémon is so cool!" Warren said, "it's also… _really_ soft," he said, referencing Drampa's body. "He needs to be brushed, but the fur is still very soft."

"Noted," Niko said with a laugh.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey y'all, a close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on , the sister site to . If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	37. It's ya boi Guzma!

**Episode 37: It's ya boi Guzma!**

It wasn't until the trio made it to route 17 that Niko finally realized how much Incineroar hated anything to do with water.

He really, _really_ hated water, particularly in the form of rain.

The day after catching Drampa, Niko and his friends left Ula'ula Meadow and continued their trek towards Po Town, where they expected to face Nanu in the Grand Trial. However, the weather quickly, and unexpectedly, switched from light fog to heavy rain, and the trio weren't necessarily ready for it.

"I—I think I have a jacket in my bag…" Niko said, hastily throwing down his backpack, zipped it open, and rummaged through until he found a raincoat at the bottom. He thrust it out, threw it on quickly, and turned to see Charlotte and Warren do the same. "Phew," he said with a sigh of relief. "Got that out of the way…"

Charlotte nodded, also with a relieved expression. She handled rain better than her male companions, but only with some sort of raincoat. Niko enjoyed the rain but preferred to not walk around in it all the time—as Pallet Town didn't see much rain year-round, he wasn't exactly used to it. Warren simply didn't prefer it.

They continued walking through the route, carefully moving around and away from mud puddles of varying shapes and sizes. The weather didn't provide much opportunity for them to train their Pokémon, and neither Niko nor Charlotte liked the idea of standing around in the rain so that their Pokémon could practice. In addition, only a couple Pokémon were truly comfortable in the rain—Vaporeon and Drampa for Niko, and Lapras and— _maybe_ —Flaaffy for Charlotte.

Eventually, however, they had to stop to eat, finding a large tree under which they were protected by most of the rainfall. The trainers each took turns sending out their teams of Pokémon to feed them. Warren went first since he had the smallest team. He gave Litleo his jacket so the little fire feline wouldn't be too bothered by what little rain was slipping through the treetops. Charlotte went next, with Lapras sitting out from under the tree to give more room to the others.

Then it was Niko's turn. He sent out all five Pokémon at once, like his friends had done. On accident, Incineroar's pokéball was closest to the boundary of the space covered by the tree. He was next to Drampa, whose enormous size accidentally pushed the Heel Pokémon outside of the tree's protection and into the rain.

Niko had never seen a Pokémon as enraged as his.

Incineroar shrieked as loudly as possible before focusing his eyes on Niko. He then spun forward towards his trainer to use darkest lariat. In response, Drampa moved in front of Niko and erected a thin veil before unleashing dragonbreath onto Incineroar. This momentarily halted the Heel Pokémon before Vaporeon jumped in front of Drampa and stared up at her friend angrily.

Vaporeon and Incineroar leered at one another for a solid minute before the latter looked back at Niko with an expression that suggested a mixture of anger and dejection, and walked over to the where his pokéball was, kicked it, and instantly went inside.

"Oh, come on…" Niko said with a heavy sigh. "Don't be like this. It was an accident," he held Incineroar's pokéball.

"Guess now you know what he truly hates," Warren commented. Niko glared at his friend.

"Yeah, I'm aware," Niko replied bitterly before pocketing the pokéball. He then looked at Drampa and Vaporeon, "thanks, by the way. He's not normally like this, as you know Vaporeon."

The two nodded. Vaporeon seemed just as confused and hurt as Niko and showed this by slowly eating her lunch that day. Drampa seemed more fed up than anything, as he was still fuming by the time they left for Po Town.

* * *

Po Town gave off a similar feel to Tapu Village, only without the decimation due to the rage of an Island Deity. For starters, there was a sky-high wall separating the town from the outside world, with two massive concrete doors allowing for passage in and out of the town. When the trio approached—in the rain—they had to knock on the concrete, which somehow alerted someone on the other side of their presence. Moments later, the gate opened, and they were allowed in.

"Why are you here?" the man at the gate asked. He wore a black cap with a black and white striped shirt and baggy black shorts. He looked similar to the Team Skull grunts they had encountered in Malie City, only without the logo.

"We're here to see Nanu for our Grand Trial," Charlotte explained. "Acerola told us that he might be here."

The man looked at them curiously through a thin pair of glasses. "Yeah, he's here. Come on in," he said with a lazy sigh. The trio then entered and didn't see much else worth noting in Po Town.

The entire place was beaten and run down. If there was ever a town that epitomized the opposite of hope, then Po Town was it. It didn't help that the weather—also constant rain—painted a dreary picture of the place. There was a single main road that ran for about a mile northward, with houses situated on both sides of the road in a suburb-like fashion. One of the closest buildings to them was a Pokémon Center, which bore an interesting collection of spray painted pictures and phrases. At the very end of the road, Niko noticed, a massive, dilapidated mansion sat.

 _What kind of place is this…?_ Niko asked as he looked around. He turned to the man at the gate. Before he said anything, the man walked off to a nearby home. _Oh, alright…_

The first place they entered was the Pokémon Center so that their Pokémon could heal up and they could dry off and find a room to lodge in. Fortunately, they easily found a room. Unfortunately, however, it was just as run-down as the rest of the town. The beds were cold and not very comfortable, and the blankets were thin and covered in some weird fuzzy material.

Niko placed his bag down and could have sworn he saw a rattata run by him, sending a shiver up his spine. "This place is great, isn't it?" the question elicited a shock expression from Charlotte, with whom he would share a bed with. "I'm joking. This place sucks."

"Why is it like this?" Warren asked as he looked out the window, only to see the concrete wall. "I've never seen a more miserable place."

"Neither have I. Guess we'll have to ask Nanu tomorrow," Niko said, looking around again. "For now, let's try and eat something and get to bed. We can look for him tomorrow."

Charlotte and Warren both nodded, and the three exited their room in search of a place to eat. When they came back a couple of hours later, the trio immediately fell to sleep on their relatively small and beaten down beds, choosing not to let their Pokémon sleep with them outside of their pokéballs this time.

* * *

Niko awoke to a dripping of water, supposedly coming from the ceiling. He woke up feeling hungrier than before, which he didn't think was possible, and sat up to look around him. It was clearly early in the morning, judging by the lack of shades on the windows and the gray light seeping through. He turned to see Charlotte slowly waking up as well. When their eyes met, they simply shook their heads, as if thinking the same thing—this placed sucked.

Later on, when Warren eventually woke up, the three of them attempted to take a shower—with cold water, that is—and get dressed before heading out into Po Town in search of Nanu.

Suddenly, when Niko opened his bag to grab his belt that had his pokéballs, he noticed it wasn't in his bag. "Um…guys," he said, his head deep into his bag in search of the belt. "I can't find my pokéballs."

"Neither can I," Charlotte added, looking through her bag as well.

"Wait, what?" Warren said with shock. "Neither can I! Who did this?"

Niko then jogged over to the door, checking to see if there was a lock. "It doesn't work…the lock, I mean."

"So someone came in while we were sleeping and took our Pokémon?" Warren asked.

"No, I don't think so…one of us would've woken up. They came in while we were getting food, I think."

"Who would take our Pokémon?" Charlotte asked. They all turned to Rotomdex.

" _It wasn't me!_ " the pokédex shouted.

"No, we know that," Niko said with a half-smile, "can you tell us anything about Po Town?"

" _O-oh…right. Let's see…Po Town used to be occupied by Team Skull before it disbanded years ago_."

"That makes sense," Niko said, cupping his chin in thought, "because the gatekeeper looked really similar to those grunts we saw in Malie City, right?" Charlotte and Warren nodded.

"Then Team Skull is still around? They disbanded though."

"Maybe so, doesn't mean they can't still steal Pokémon," Charlotte added.

"We need to find them, and quickly," Niko said before grabbing his bag and running out of the room, Charlotte and Warren behind him.

They first asked a pink-haired woman at the front desk about their Pokémon, and she responded with a nonchalant shrug. "I didn't see nothin'," she said, eliciting a sigh from the trio.

"Well, if you do, please let us know, alright?" Niko asked. She nodded lazily and shooed them away. As they were leaving, Charlotte shot her an ugly glare. "She probably knows something."

"That's how mobs act, right?" Warren asked. "And Team Skull gives off a mob vibe to me."

Niko nodded, looking out onto the town. "We should probably first look for Nanu. He might know where to look."

"If Nanu lives here, maybe he's part of Team Skull too," Charlotte surmised.

Niko hadn't thought much about it. It did make sense. His persona seemed uncaring and aloof, similar to the Team Skull members they've met thus far. It would also mean that finding their Pokémon would be a million times more difficult without an Island Kahuna on their side.

"Let's hope not," he eventually said before moving on.

After trying several houses, Niko and his friends eventually noticed a shorter man in all-black attire walking down the street. His police badge and gray hair were familiar to them.

"Nanu!" Niko shouted, waving his hand to the Kahuna, catching his attention. Nanu slowly looked up, took a moment to recognize Niko, and walked forward.

"Ah, you three. What the hell are you three doing _here_?" Nanu asked.

"Acerola told us that you'd be here. We've completed the trials and are ready to challenge you," Charlotte explained.

Nanu smirked. "Ah, gotcha. Well, I'm ready whenever you are."

"However…our Pokémon were stolen," to this, Nanu hardly seemed surprised.

"Makes sense. That happens a lot in this town. Shoulda been more careful."

"Can you help us? Or at least direct us to where they could be?" Niko asked, genuinely hoping that Nanu wasn't a member of Team Skull.

"Are you a member of Team Skull?" Warren asked.

"Of course not," Nanu said simply. "They're delinquents. In my day I dealt with scum like them for a living. However, to answer your first question—yes, I do know where they are. Would you like me to take you to them?"

The trio nodded in sync.

"Hm. Alright then, follow me," Nanu said without emotion, leading them down the street to the mansion at the end of Po Town. Niko was now able to get a better picture of the place. It was covered in graffiti and grime and was only two stories tall. "This is the 'Shady House.' Here lives the former head of Team Skull—Guzma."

"If Team Skull is disbanded, why did we meet some members in Malie City?" Charlotte asked.

"Also, why are they still stealing Pokémon?" Niko added.

"There are members trying to re-build the team," Nanu answered, "and…to the second question, there will always be people out to steal Pokémon. I'm sure you're aware of this, Niko."

Niko was surprised that Nanu seemed to imply he was a far more travelled trainer than either of his friends or most of the Island Challengers in Alola. He didn't say anything in response, though.

"Guzma is probably behind taking your Pokémon. I'm sure he'd love to provide you with the reason," Nanu said, opening the front door with relative ease. Inside, the mansion was far more torn up and destroyed than the outside. Furniture was overturned, paintings hanging to the sides, and the floor was covered in either stained carpeting or ripped up wood paneling.

In a nutshell, it was an atrocity.

"My Mom would kill me if this was where I lived…" Niko muttered, looking around.

"So where's Guzma?" Warren asked, looking around. They noticed Nanu pointing directly upwards.

"There. That's his room. Be careful getting up there."

"You're not coming?" Niko said as they started to walk and noticed Nanu wasn't following.

"Yes, but don't expect me to battle on your behalf. Guzma isn't like that, anyways. It isn't his style."

Niko didn't exactly know what Nanu was referring to but shrugged it off and continued. They leapt over a cabinet to climb the stairs to the left of the room, taking them to the second floor. From there, they had to climb over an overturned bed frame to get to what they believed to be Guzma's room. With slight hesitation, Niko opened the door and entered.

* * *

"Ah, it's my boi Nanu!" A short man sitting on a golden throne-like chair said from the back of the room. Around him were a collection of money sprinkled with small light green Z-crystals that Niko didn't quite recognize.

The man himself was average height with white hair, dark eyes, and black eyebrows. He wore a black jacket with a zigzag pattern on both sides. He wore a white shirt, some black pants with two white X's under his knees and a pair of white shoes. He also had a purple tattoo of Team Skull on his left arm and a golden watch, while on his right hand were black and white bracelets. Lastly, he wore sunglasses with a golden frame on his head, and a locket with a yellow Team Skull logo around his neck.

"Guzma," Nanu said, nodding to the former chief of Team Skull.

"How ya doing!? It's been a while," Guzma said, sitting back in his chair, one leg sitting on the knee of the other. He crossed his arms around his stomach and glared at Nanu before turning to the trio. "And…who are these youngsters? New Trial Captains or whatever garbage you're putting them up to?"

"Two of them are Island Challengers, in fact, and all three of them have recently had their Pokémon stolen from them. I'm sure you know something about this?"

Guzma smirked evilly. "Maaaaybe I do. Tell me—" he looked at the trio, "who are you?"

"I'm Niko from Pallet Town."

"Charlotte from Castelia City."

"Warren, also from Castelia City."

Guzma nodded, "and you're Island Challengers? Why?" he seemed almost enraged now. " _Why_ are you choosing to take part in that trash competition? What do you gain from it?"

"I want to be a Pokémon Master," Niko said. To this Guzma laughed.

"Ya kidding yaself, boy!" he said, laughing maniacally. "Why would ya think you can do that? Who can _honestly_ call themselves a Pokémon Master? That trash boy Ash Ketchum? Maybe…but I doubt a mere Island Challenger can."

"He's a League Champion, too!" Warren spat back. "I wouldn't underestimate Niko."

"Oh? You've won a Pokémon League. Impressive. Well, how about this," he snapped his fingers, and a grunt brought him three bags of pokéballs. "We battle, then. Two on two. You win, and you get your Pokémon back. I win—and I keep them."

"Deal," Niko said, confident in his abilities. Turns out, so were his friends. Although Charlotte nevertheless gripped his hand with hers. "I got this," he said softly to her.

Guzma threw one of the bags to Niko—the one containing the luxury ball—and got out of his chair. He motioned for the trio and Nanu to follow him out of the room and out of the Shady House, onto a battlefield in the backyard…in the rain.

"Ya ready?" Guzma asked. Niko nodded. "Ariados, come on out!" he shouted, summoning the arachnid-like Pokémon that Niko was familiar with—as well as frightened of.

Niko looked down at Incineroar's pokéball, wondering if it was worth it. It was raining—and he knew how much the Heel Pokémon hated it. But he seemed so dejected earlier that it didn't seem right to do that to him, no matter how high the stakes were. _I can win this without Incineroar_ , Niko thought to himself.

"Trumbeak, I choose you!" Niko shouted, summoning the Bugle Beak Pokémon. He explained the stakes. "I trust you, Trumbeak."

His bird turned to Niko and nodded before taking flight. Niko began with a drill peck, while Guzma ordered Ariados to use sucker punch. Trumbeak dove down to Ariados, landing the attack successfully. However, the Long Leg Pokémon leapt to the side before jabbing Trumbeak in the side of his body, forcing him into the ground.

"Thas right, Ariados! Well done!" Guzma shouted. "Use fell stinger now!"

"Trumbeak, dodge!" Niko shouted. Trumbeak nodded, rolling across the ground as he evaded a second jab from his opponent before opening his wings once more and taking to the sky. "Echoed voice!"

"Fell stinger!" Guzma commanded, although Ariados seemed more annoyed by the sound Trumbeak was making and unable to focus its attack successfully. Trumbeak continued this, his voice heightening in pitch before he dove down and landed a drill peck, successfully defeating Ariados.

"Ariados is unable to battle boss," the Team Skull grunt acting as the judge declared. "You should use ya second Pokémon now."

"Yeah yeah I know. Golisopod, you're up!" he shouted, throwing out an ultra-ball. "Niko, you're about to truly meet your match. I am destruction in human form! I _am_ ya boy Guzma!"

"You're doing great, Trumbeak. Just keep it up," Niko said softly. Trumbeak nodded as he leered at his new opponent.

It was a large, arthropod Pokémon with a hunched-over, humanoid posture. It had a light purplish inner body armored with a silver exoskeleton. Its eyes were black and angular in shape, each with a light gray pupil that looked like a four-pointed star. Behind its head were three roundish segments of its shell, each with a long, upwardly-curved protrusion on either side and marked with a greenish triangle on the front; these segments covered its jutting neck. It also had three pairs of arms. The two frontal pairs of arms were thin and tipped with a sharp, black claw. The rearmost pair were the largest and ended with two large, purple "hands" equipped with two large claws each.

" _Eeek! That's a Golisopod, Niko! It's known as the Hard Scale Pokémon, and it a bug and water type. The shell covering its body is as hard as diamond. This Pokémon will do anything it takes to win_."

"Trumbeak, use drill peck!" Niko shouted.

"Swords dance!" Guzma commanded. Orange swords surrounded Golisopod as they crossed and clanged before Trumbeak slammed down onto its hard exoskeleton. Upon impact the Bugle Beak Pokémon rolled forwards and off of Golisopod before spinning around and smashing into its back with rock smash.

"Well done, Trumbeak!" Niko shouted, thrusting a fist into the air. Golisopod collapsed forward, turning back to leer at Trumbeak, who flew back into the air, only to get hit by a razor shell thrown directly at it. "Trumbeak!"

"Slash!" Guzma shouted. Golisopod, taking advantage of the opening offered to it, charged forward to meet Trumbeak as he fell to the ground and, successfully enough, slashed at him, thrusting him backwards and towards Niko, who caught the Bugle Beak Pokémon in his arms.

"It's okay, buddy. Someone can step in if you can't battle."

Trumbeak looked up at Niko as if he were crazy and finagled his way out of his trainer's hands before collapsing onto the ground. He slowly got back up and immediately began to illuminate a bright white color.

The bird began to grow into a much larger Pokémon with the same black and white feathers characteristic of Pikipek and Trumbeak. However, now its beak was long and curved like a toucan's. Around the beak were bands of red, orange, and yellow and progressively lightening as they got closer to his head. Niko recognized this Pokémon—Kahili of the Elite 4 used one.

"Toucannon…" Niko said, turning to Rotomdex, who had already shown Niko what these looked like. "Let's win this, buddy," he said with a new determination.

Toucannon leered at Golisopod, who did the same back. Then the Toucan Pokémon's beak began to light up, as if it were on fire. As soon as Golisopod charged towards him, he shot forward as well. The two collided in the middle of the field and ran past one another.

Toucannon simply stood there, wings wide open, as he hunched forward in a finishing pose. Golisopod did the same until it collapsed forward towards Niko. It was defeated.

"G-golisopod is…unable to battle, boss," the judge said, in shock and fright.

Guzma eyed Niko skeptically. "Fine, whatever. Take ya damn Pokémon and leave this place. A deal is a deal."

"I didn't take you as the type of guy to not immediately renege on a deal, Guzma," Nanu said, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Yeah, whatever old man. Niko proved himself. He didn't even need a second Pokémon. That's what got me…it wouldn't have mattered how many Pokémon I used. You had five, and if they're all as strong as that Toucannon, then I can't see myself winning."

Nanu nodded.

"Thank you, Guzma," Niko said with Toucannon standing next to him.

"Sure, sure kid. Go do your Island Challenge crap and leave us be."

"Got it," Niko said. He was sure there wasn't much he could say or do to convince Guzma that what he believed in was misguided, and so he gave Charlotte and Warren their pokéballs back before turning to leave the Shady House.

"Also…" Guzma said, turning to Niko. He threw them two Z-crystals. "Maybe you'll find these handy."

Niko looked down at them. "What are they?"

"Buginium-Z. You can use bug type Z-moves with them, like Savage Spin-Out. Maybe you'll find it useful. I don't really know."

"Oh…well, thanks," Niko said casually. "Have a good day, I suppose."

"Ya, okay."

* * *

"Let's battle tomorrow," Nanu said as they exited the Shady House. "If you're both ready, that is."

"Will it be in the rain?" Niko asked, looking up.

"Possibly, although it doesn't rain every day here. Most of the time, but not all of the time."

"Where should we go?" Charlotte asked.

"There's a battlefield just outside of the walls of Po Town, to the east. If you walk along the coast you'll find it. It's not very well hidden," he turned to leave, "the battle will be three-vs-three, if you must know. Noon. I'll see you there."

With that, Nanu left the company of Niko, Charlotte, and Warren. Their Pokémon back in their possession, the trio went back to the Pokémon Center, so the couple could prepare for their third Grand Trial in Alola.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey y'all,** **a close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on , the sister site to . If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	38. Digging in against Nanu!

**Episode 38: Digging in against Nanu!**

It didn't take long to find the site for the Grand Trial. From Po Town, it was only an hour's walk east along the coast of Ula'ula Island. When Niko, Charlotte, and Warren arrived there, they noticed Nanu was sitting near the edge of the concrete battlefield, staring out into the ocean. It was midday, and there was a light ocean breeze about them that made the trio question what season it actually was, since it felt more like late summer than late autumn.

"Nanu…?" Niko asked in an ordinary tone. The Island Kahuna turned his head slightly, nodded, and lazily got up to face them.

"Hey. Ready?" he asked with a slight grin on his face. Niko nodded. "Which one is first?"

"I am," Charlotte said, as Niko had gone first during Acerola's trial. Nanu nodded and stepped up to his end of the battlefield while Charlotte stepped up to hers. Niko and Warren each took spots on the sidelines, and a judge explained the rules of the three-on-three Pokémon battle. Allowing them to begin promptly.

"Sableye," Nanu said, summoning a small purple creature with light gems for eyes.

"Mudbray, let's go!" Charlotte shouted, summoning the Donkey Pokémon for his first ever battle. "You ready?" she asked. Mudbray nodded, only having eyes for his opponent. "Use high horsepower!"

"Sableye, slow it down with power gem," Nanu commanded. Sableye thrusted its arms forward and fired off small pink gems, each of which successfully hit Mudbray, who hardly seemed to slow down from his own attack. He succeeded in crashing into Sableye, knocking the Darkness Pokémon backwards. Charlotte looked with surprise at the battlefield. Mudbray's attack left a pair of parallel black streaks on the ground.

"That's stronger than it used to be…" Charlotte said, looking up at Mudbray, who was stricken by a shadow ball to the face, forcing him onto his right side. "Mudbray!"

"Power gem," Nanu said calmly. Sableye fired off several pink rocks at Mudbray, leaving bruises all around his body. Charlotte couldn't bear to let it continue and held out her pokéball.

"Return," she said. _We need to work on that_. "Salazzle, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning the Toxic Lizard Pokémon. "Let's go. Use toxic!"

Salazzle leaned onto all fours and shrieked out, summoning an oozing purple circle underneath Sableye. The circle burst upwards, spraying poisonous material all over the Darkness Pokémon. Sableye then collapsed onto one knee before reaching forward and firing off another power gem from its left hand. Salazzle skillfully dodged each move before slithering forward and slamming its tail into Sableye and knocking it over.

"Use flame burst!" Charlotte commanded. Salazzle opened her mouth and quickly shot a close-range fireball at Sableye's head, sprayed fire everywhere and burning some of the leftover poison on the battlefield. Sableye then swiftly shot its head in Salazzle's direction and fired a shadow ball upwards, hitting the Toxic Lizard Pokémon in the neck and causing her to stumble backwards. "Dragon rage!"

"Power gem!" Nanu commanded, a little sterner this time. The purple flames from dragon rage collided with the pink gems, creating a stalemate between the two Pokémon. "Dark pulse."

"Flame burst!" Charlotte commanded. Salazzle shot out another small fireball that flew through the dark pulse before colliding with it mid-attack, causing a lopsided explosion that hit Sableye more than the lizard. Sableye collapsed backwards, giving Charlotte and Salazzle the opening they needed. "Use dragon rage!"

"Dark pulse," Nanu said, although it was too late. The purple flame engulfed Sableye, with the poisoned effect adding to it. Sableye collapsed, its head softly hitting the concrete below it.

"Sableye is unable to battle, Salazzle is the winner!" the judge declared. "Kahuna Nanu will now send out his second Pokémon!"

"Return, Sableye. Krokorok, I choose you!" Nanu said, lazily throwing out another ultra-ball containing the sand crocodile that Niko and Charlotte were familiar with. "Use earthquake!"

"Toxic!" Charlotte commanded. If Salazzle were going down, then she'd at least try to do some lasting damage. However, her Toxic Lizard was stronger than that, which made her grin. Once the earthquake terminated, Salazzle turned to her trainer and gave a pained grin. "Good job," Charlotte praised as Krokorok was overcome by the poisonous material. "Now, dragon rage!"

Salazzle leaned forward and shot off more purple flames, engulfing Krokorok. She then, surprisingly, slithered forward and, opening her mouth, sprayed poison all over the Desert Croc Pokémon.

"What the…?" Charlotte asked curiously. She recognized the move from somewhere, but certainly not from Salazzle. _Did she just learn something new?_

" _Bzzzt, Charlotte!_ " Rotomdex cried out, " _Salazzle learned venoshock!_ "

"Venoshock…" Charlotte said, nodding and smiling. "Well done, Salazzle!" she shouted happily. Salazzle once more turned to Charlotte and grinned. However, neither of them saw Krokorok shoot downwards, bite onto Salazzle's tail, swing her upwards, and spin her around mercilessly. "No!"

"Use assurance!" Nanu commanded. Krokorok, finished spinning Salazzle, then slammed her into the ground before shaking the ground viciously.

"Salazzle…" Charlotte said before the judge declared her unable to battle.

"Salazzle is unable to battle, Krokorok wins! Charlotte will now use her next Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Lapras, I choose you!" Charlotte shouted. She knew that, as usual, Lapras hated being on land, but she wanted the Transport Pokémon to see battle again, since the last time was against Kahuna Olivia, where her shiny Pokémon had won her the match. "Lapras, you can do this. Just follow my lead, alright?"

Lapras turned to Charlotte and nodded before bellowing out in a threatening tone. Krokorok got into a battle stance, clearly also ready to fight.

"Earthquake," Nanu said coldly.

"Stop it with ice beam!" Charlotte commanded. Just as the earthquake started shaking the battlefield, and Lapras along with it, the Transport Pokémon attempted to fire off an ice beam. She was successful in using the attack, however it misfired and hit the space to the left of Krokorok. Charlotte grit her teeth before commanding Lapras to use water pulse, to which Krokorok responded by using Assurance to block it, causing the pulsating orb of water to burst and spray everywhere.

 _It'll be hard because Lapras doesn't move very fast, or very far, on land…_ Charlotte thought, trying to come up with a successful strategy that involved mobility. With most of her other Pokémon, this wasn't too difficult. With Lapras, it was quite the opposite. In fact, it was her least mobile Pokémon, both from her Kalos and Alolan Pokémon teams.

"Krokorok, use earthquake," Nanu commanded.

"Ice shard!" Charlotte shouted. This time, Lapras managed to strike first, thrusting small bits of sharp ice at the Desert Croc Pokémon, striking it in the shoulders and arms and causing it to collapse forward. "Now, use ice beam!"

Lapras continued with the onslaught, firing a beam of ice energy at Krokorok, freezing its feet before shooting out a water pulse to finish the job.

"Krokorok is unable to battle, Lapras is the winner!" the judge declared, "Kahuna Nanu will now send out his third and final Pokémon!"

"Yes!" Charlotte shouted, leaping in the air happily. "Well done, Lapras!"

Nanu nodded, a smirk etched on the side of his face. "Not bad, not bad. Persian, you're up," Nanu said, throwing out a third ultra ball, this time containing a Pokémon that Niko and Charlotte _thought_ they were familiar with. Only…it looked different.

This variation of Persian was grey-blue in color with a larger and rounded face with noticeable jowls. Its eyes were in a half-closed state, and instead of a red forehead jewel, it had a blue jewel.

" _Bzzzt, that's a Persian!_ " Rotomdex declared, " _It's a dark type, and is known as the Classy Cat Pokémon! Its round face is a symbol of wealth. Persian that have bigger, plumper faces are considered more beautiful_."

"Dark pulse," Nanu said calmly.

"Water pulse!" Charlotte shouted. Lapras opened her mouth and summoned another pulsating orb of water that was thrown forward, exploding upon colliding with the nexus of dark energy emanating from Persian's blue jewel.

"Fake out," Nanu continued. Persian charged forward before shifting to the left. Charlotte ordered Lapras to use ice beam, however the Persian she aimed at immediately disappeared. Suddenly, from Lapras' right, a claw slashed at her face, causing her to wail out in pain. "Dark pulse!"

"Water pulse!" Charlotte shouted. Persian landed on the ground and fired a dark pulse just as Lapras mustered the energy to throw her head towards the Classy Cat Pokémon and release a final water pulse. The resulting explosion launched Persian backwards like a rocket and caused Lapras to fall forward in defeat.

"Lapras is unable to battle, Persian is the winner!" the judge declared. "Charlotte will now use her third and final Pokémon!"

"Return," Charlotte said with a sigh. All she had left was Mudbray, who barely got out of a battle with Sableye. _Can he fight this thing? It's stronger. Also…Nanu hasn't used a Z-move yet. What's the dark type Z-move?_ "Mudbray, you're up!" she shouted, summoning the Donkey Pokémon. "I'm counting on you buddy. We can do this."

"She's down to her newest Pokémon…" Niko muttered, slightly worried about his girlfriend's prospects. However, Charlotte had been through tougher situations before. This would be no different. "Go Charlotte!"

"Persian, dark pulse!" Nanu commanded, suddenly feeling more fired up, and uncharacteristically so.

"High horsepower!" Charlotte commanded. Mudbray nodded, charging forward at a blinding speed, quickly moving to the right to evade the move before turning again toward Persian. However, Mudbray ran too fast and missed, nearly falling off of the edge behind Nanu and into the water. "Mudbray, be careful!" Charlotte shouted, worried. Sighing, she thought of what the little Donkey Pokémon knew besides high horsepower. "Use stomp!"

Mudbray nodded, charging once more at Persian, dodging a power gem along the way. He attempted to leap into the air, with the intention of landing his powerful hooves on top of the Classy Cat Pokémon, only to miss and get faked out by his opponent, thrusting him onto his side and into the ground.

"High horsepower!" Charlotte shouted, running out of ideas for a potential strategy. Persian wasn't making this easy. Mudbray successfully used the move this time, but took a power gem in exchange, launching him backwards and nearly off of his feet once again. "Now…bide!" she commanded. _High risk, high reward move…_ Charlotte muttered.

Mudbray then took beating after beating from Persian. Nanu smirked, realizing what she was doing. Then, once it seemed like Mudbray was about to release his pent-up energy, Nanu lifted his Z-ring to reveal a black crystal sitting in it.

"Persian!" Nanu shouted, again uncharacteristically, "Use Black Hole Eclipse!"

"Oh no…" Charlotte muttered. Persian roared out, summoning a massive black hole above it. The attack began sucking everything around it on the battlefield, specifically the energy beam fired off by Mudbray. However, the Donkey Pokémon surprised everyone—especially his trainer—by resisting the Black Hole Eclipse. "How…?" Charlotte wondered, looking down at Mudbray's hooves.

He dug _into_ the concrete.

 _We have a chance now…_ Charlotte realized, looking up at Nanu with a determined expression. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out Normalium-Z. "Mudbray, let's go," performing the poses for Breakneck Blitz, she shouted the moved and, upon energy transfer, Mudbray charged forward. "Aim for the blue jewel!" she added. Mudbray nodded, bursting towards his opponent with the fury allowed by the Z-energy.

Mudbray collided directly with Persian, headbutting it as their bodies met. Persian was shot backwards, landing right behind Nanu and near the edge of the coast that they were on.

"Persian is unable to battle, Mudbray is the winner!" the judge declared, "the victory goes to Charlotte from Castelia City!"

Charlotte smiled happily. "We did it, Mudbray!" she said, leaning down to pet the mud-caked Donkey Pokémon. "I'm so proud of you for digging in. Let's use that strategy again, alright?"

Mudbray nodded and, for the first time, he smiled at Charlotte.

* * *

Half an hour later, once Nanu's Pokémon had healed, it was Niko's turn. The judge explained the rules once more to them and, before Niko knew it, the battle had started.

"Sableye, you're up!" Nanu commanded.

"Drampa, I choose you!" Niko shouted, summoning his newly-caught dragon Pokémon. "You ready buddy?" Drampa turned and smiled warmly to Niko, who nodded with an equal amount of determination. "I know. Drampa, use dragonbreath!"

"Sableye, shadow ball," Nanu commanded. The two attacks collided before Drampa lifted himself into the air and flew around Sableye. Meanwhile, Niko was trying to figure out a specific strategy for Drampa, who knew only one move that could truly damage the dark type Sableye. _He knows natural gift…what does that do?_ Niko thought to himself. "Drampa, use natural gift!" he said naively.

Drampa, from midair, turned to Niko with a confused look.

 _Dammit, what does that do?_

" _Bzzzt, Niko! Drampa needs a berry to use natural gift!_ " Rotomdex shouted. Niko reached into his bag and threw an Oran Berry to the Placid Pokémon, who quickly flew down, dodging a dark pulse, and ate the berry. He then turned viciously to Sableye and spewed poisonous energy at the Darkness Pokémon. Sableye quickly sidestepped the attack and responded with power gem, which successfully hit Drampa.

Then, Niko realized, Drampa began to fume. He looked angry. Without warning, the Placid Pokémon spewed purple and orange flames everywhere, engulfing Sableye who used a panicky dark pulse that ultimately missed.

"Drampa! Another!" Niko shouted, throwing his Pokémon another Oran Berry. Drampa, despite his rage, took the berry happily before spewing it back at Sableye, quickly defeating the Darkness Pokémon.

"Sableye is unable to battle, Drampa is the winner!" the judge declared. "Kahuna Nanu will now use his second Pokémon!"

"Return, Sableye," Nanu commanded before summoning another ultra ball out. "Krokorok, I choose you. Use assurance."

"Drampa, dodge and use dragon breath!" Niko commanded. However, they both learned that Krokorok was far faster than Drampa, sprinting forward to slash at the Placid Pokémon before he could take flight and fire off an aerial dragon attack. Drampa roared out in pain as he collapsed back to the ground.

"Earthquake," Nanu commanded coldly. Krokorok obeyed, shaking the ground underneath it. Drampa had difficulty getting up during the earthquake, eventually electing to wait it out before getting into the air. However, before he could Krokorok bit down on his wing, once more preventing the Placid Pokémon from taking flight. "Assurance!"

"Dragon breath!" Niko shouted, angered by the difficulty in handling the Desert Croc Pokémon. Drampa managed to remove Krokorok, but not before collapsing back to the ground in defeat.

"Drampa is unable to battle, Krokorok is the winner! Challenger Niko will now use his second Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Drampa, return," Niko said calmly. It was only the beginning—he had two more Pokémon, after all. "Vaporeon, you're up!"

"Krokorok, be careful with this one," Niko overheard Nanu say quietly to his Desert Croc Pokémon. "This one is faster. Use earthquake to knock it off balance."

"Vaporeon, into the air!" Niko shouted, surprising both Vaporeon and Nanu. The Bubble Jet Pokémon nodded, leaping as high into the air as she could before throwing down a water pulse onto the quaking battlefield. "Now, again, but in a different direction!"

Nanu quickly saw what Niko was trying to do and had Krokorok attempt to break the newly formed ice battlefield with earthquake. However, it hardly seemed to work, since Vaporeon managed to use the ice to slide right into Krokorok, dodging an assurance and firing a close-range water pulse to knock the Desert Croc Pokémon backwards.

"Well done, Vaporeon!" Niko praised. "Let's keep it up! Use aurora beam at Krokorok's feet!"

"Think you can repeat that strategy?" Nanu asked with a wry smile. "Earthquake and follow up with assurance!"

"Vaporeon, dodge and use water pulse!" Niko shouted. Vaporeon used the remaining ice to slide to the left and quickly spin back around, firing a water pulse in front of Krokorok. "Aurora beam!"

The Bubble Jet Pokémon released a beam of rainbow-colored energy at the puddle creating by water pulse just before Krokorok got there, freezing the battlefield directly in front of Niko and causing the Desert Croc Pokémon to fall forward.

"Water pulse!" Niko shouted. Vaporeon slid along the ice and leapt into the air using her momentum and shot a pulsating sphere of water onto Krokorok's back. It burst, defeating the crocodile.

"Krokorok is unable to battle, Vaporeon is the winner!" the judge declared. "Kahuna Nanu will now use his third and final Pokémon!"

 _The tables have turned_ , Niko thought. _Let's do this._

"Persian," Nanu shouted, summoning the Classy Cat Pokémon. "Use power gem."

"Evade and use aurora beam!" Niko shouted. However, Vaporeon barely managed to get out of the way, as one of the fast-moving pink gems struck her in the side, causing her to spin around and crash onto the concrete battlefield. "Water pulse, quick!"

"Persian, dark pulse," Nanu commanded, and the two attacks collided without much of note. "Now, let's finish this off," he said, holding out a Z-ring. "Black Hole Eclipse!"

"Vaporeon, aurora beam your feet" Niko shouted, trying to replicate Charlotte's strategy. At first it seemed to work, however the ice wasn't stable enough, and Vaporeon was sucked into the black hole above Persian before being spit right back out, crashing into the battlefield like a rocket.

"Vaporeon is unable to battle, Persian is the winner!" the judge declared, "Challenger Niko will now use his third and final Pokémon!"

"Return. I'm very proud of you, buddy. Umbreon would be, too," Niko said, looking up at Nanu while pulling out a third pokéball. "All up to you. Ribombee, you can do it!" Niko shouted.

"Fake out," Nanu said. Persian charged forward, attempting to strike first at the tiny Bee Fly Pokémon. Ribombee simply moved out of sight once Persian got close enough, managing to successfully evade it before releasing a blinding light.

"Dazzling gleam, well done!" Niko said excitedly. "Now Ribombee, use energy ball!"

"Persian, power gem!" Nanu commanded. Niko could tell he was getting amped up now, as his back was certainly against the wall. Ribombee's energy ball blasted through the pink gems, however missed Persian who managed to evade. "Power gem once more!"

"Dazzling gleam!" Niko shouted. Ribombee fluttered through the air, emitting a bright pink light that blinded Persian, causing the attack to once again miss. Niko, feeling successful now, lifted his Z-ring to show the Bee Fly Pokémon. "You ready?" Ribombee nodded. "Just like we practiced, buddy," he then began to perform odd-shaped poses, sending the Z-energy into Ribombee. "Savage Spin-Out!" Niko shouted proudly. Ribombee then shot silk from his hands, engulfing Persian in threads of it. Ribombee then grabbed ahold of the last thread he spun before picking up Persian using the remainder of his Z-energy and throwing the Classy Cat Pokémon around and slamming it into the ground, shattering the concrete underneath.

It didn't take long for the judge to determine this match. Nanu and Niko already knew from the moment that Ribombee successfully executed his attack that the battle would quickly be over.

"Persian is unable to battle, Ribombee is the winner!" the judge declared. "The winner is Niko from Pallet Town!"

Niko pumped his right fist as Ribombee, now overjoyed, fluttered jovially around his trainer. He had never won a trial on his own before, and Niko only realized it when he saw the happiness in his Pokémon's eyes.

"Hey buddy…" Niko said, holding out his palm for an exhausted Ribombee to sit down on. "I'm very proud of you. You took no damage from a Kahuna's strongest Pokémon. That's truly something."

Ribombee nodded before collapsing from exhaustion. He might not have taken any direct damage, but he looked more tired than ever. Z-moves seemed to exhaust his little body more than it did for most Pokémon.

"Niko, Charlotte," Nanu said, walking up to the couple minutes later and holding out two black Z-crystals. "As a reward for defeating me, and on behalf of Tapu Bulu, I award you both Darkinium-Z. In addition, I will contact Kahuna Hapu, the Kahuna of Poni Island, of your imminent arrival. Sound good?"

"Yes, thank you Nanu," Charlotte said, eying the Darkinium-Z, and wondering if she could even use it. Niko knew he could—but the one Pokémon he knew _could_ use it was very upset with him at the moment.

"Where on Poni Island should we go next?" Niko asked.

"Seafolk Village. Hapu and one of the Trial Captains of Poni Island, Mina, both live there. You can take a boat from Malie City—Poni Island is far away."

"Noted," Niko said, turning to Charlotte. "Think Lapras can make it?"

"After she rests, of course!" Charlotte said as the trio completely ignored Nanu's advice. The old Kahuna sighed before turning and leaving.

"Good luck, you two," he said, hiding a concerned expression. "I have to go now. See ya."

"Bye, Nanu!" Niko, Charlotte, and Warren said as they waved to the Ula'ula Island Kahuna, who left the battlefield at a quickened pace, leaving the trio alone to consider their trip to the final island of Alola.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey y'all, a close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on , the sister site to . If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	39. A mission

**Episode 39: A mission**

Hau looked down at his twiddling thumbs. He was nervous. The Alola League—for which he was responsible for opening and running—was opening in a few weeks, and he had to not only prepare for that, but provide extra security in the event of something going awry. He looked out onto the long conference table where, now seated, were his grandfather, Hala, Acerola, and Kahili. He was waiting on Molayne and the three remaining Kahunas.

Silence engulfed the conference room, characteristically pearl-white, as were most things in the Aether Paradise. This place—still—gave him the creeps, but it was the most secure location in Alola, as well as secluded enough from the rest of the region to not attract any unwanted attention from Island Challengers or other followers of the Alola League's rite of passage.

Eventually, Hau released a long, powerful breath of air that sounded more like a sigh than anything. Looking up, he revealed his tired eyes to the now-full table, minus one.

"Where is Hapu?" he asked, looking around for Poni Island's Kahuna.

"She is busy today in Seafolk Village," Nanu said with aloofness in his tone. His arms were crossed and he was leaning back in his chair.

Hau nodded in acknowledgement. "Welcome," he eventually said. "So…we meet again to—"

"Hau," Hala said calmly, attracting the attention of his grandson and making a calming gesture. Hau understood immediately and nodded.

"Things are looking up," he said simply, "I was recently on a call with Cynthia from the Sinnoh Region and she explained that any anomalies in her region were due to something unrelated to what we might be dealing with."

"So…the Alola League can proceed as planned?" Kahili asked.

"Ideally, yes," Hau replied.

"'Ideally'?" Molayne repeated. "Are you not completely sure of our safety?"

"Its never wise to be completely sure of anything, Molayne. You, of all people, should know that," Hau said, staring directly at the scientist. "But if have given the green light to proceed, then we proceed."

"Why don't we take a vote on it?" Molayne asked, still not entirely convinced.

"And that would be necessary…why?" Hau asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because not all of us are convinced that this potential danger has truly come to pass," Kahili replied coldly.

"Trust me when I say it has," Hau said, equally as coldly.

"Then why aren't you completely sure of it?" Molayne repeated.

"For reasons I've already stated. Let's move on," Hau said, looking at the piece of notebook paper sitting in front of him. "Ah, right. Dammit, I wish Hapu were here. This concerns her specifically."

"What is it…?" Nanu asked, "I can send a message on my way back to Ula'ula."

"Well, this concerns the Altar of the Moone," Hau began. "Where the wormholes appeared years ago. In private, her and I have discussed the possibility of opening them up again as a means of handling a potential global threat. However,"

"However…?" Nanu repeated.

"However, it is worth checking to see if cities like Ultra Megalopolis are free from this threat as well."

"And why is that necessary?" Kahili wondered. "They're _very_ far away, correct?"

"Yes. However…the threat specified by Cynthia could be extra dimensional."

"…you're telling us this now?" Olivia, uncharacteristically annoyed, asked.

Hau nodded. "I was leaving it for this particular piece of business," Hau said calmly, certain of his reasoning. It didn't seem to fly with the rest of the group, however, and they all began to open up with their opinions and thoughts on the matter. The only ones not entirely upset with Hau's choice were Hala, Acerola and, unsurprisingly, Nanu. "Okay, look," Hau said calmly, somehow managing to quiet down the Elite 4 and Kahunas. "I apologize for leaving some information out. But this particular business concerns me. We have a stable relationship with the people in Ultra Megalopolis, and I worry for their safety as well.

"This is exactly why I needed to talk to Hapu, since its under her authority, technically speaking. Nanu, I will personally discuss this matter with Hapu, however I thank you for the offer to act as a middle man."

"Yeah, okay," Nanu said carelessly.

"So…is this meeting finished?" Kahili asked.

Hau nodded. "That is all. Thank you all for showing up. You may leave."

One by one, the Kahunas and Elite 4 left, save for Hala, who sat next to his grandson. "Hau…are you alright?"

The Champion nodded. "This is a tougher job than I anticipated. When I became the strongest trainer in Alola, I didn't expect to deal with _this_."

"My boy, sometimes we have to accept duties not made specifically for us. Your purpose might not be made to involve regional security, but you are more capable of it than you believe."

" _They_ don't think so."

"Hau…they're worried. We all are. But what you said, and how you handled it, were admirable. You're growing into a fine leader, I think."

Hau smiled. Hala, tough as he was, always knew how to cheer him up.

* * *

The trip from Ula'ula Island to Poni Island took far longer than Niko, Charlotte, and Warren had anticipated. Like they did on their way to Ula'ula Island, they rode on Charlotte's shiny Lapras from Po Town in a westward direction, as given to them by an unusually helpful ex-Team Skull Grunt.

Along the way, the trio rested on several smaller islands, generally for purposes of eating, sleeping, and giving time and space for their Pokémon to stretch their legs. Niko turned to notice Incineroar merely sitting in the sand, away from the rest, during the few times he was out of his pokéball.

His mood confused Niko. As a Litten and Torracat, he was sometimes aloof but generally a good-natured Pokémon. Now, not only was he moody, but he didn't want to listen. It concerned Niko, and Charlotte and Warren quickly noticed it. At one point, Vaporeon walked over to greet her friend by sitting next to him. Incineroar briefly looked at the Bubble Jet Pokémon before looking away, seemingly angered by _something_. Vaporeon didn't leave, however, and the two sat there for some time before returning to their pokéballs.

This was much of the trip to Poni Island—briefly resting, and more swimming. Charlotte, at times, was concerned for her Lapras' health, as the Transport Pokémon began to tire towards the end of the journey. However, she also figured this trip would help to strengthen Lapras, which was incredibly helpful.

After nearly a week of travelling, they made saw an island in sight. They had finally arrived at Poni Island.

It was far smaller than the other islands, as the trio could see it in its entirety from a distance. A small island sat to the south of it, and a large mountainous region was off in the distance from their vantage point. Directly in front of them, however, was a small port town resting entirely on wooden planks floating in the water. It reminded Niko of Pacifidlog Town in Hoenn.

The trio saw several themed boats as they got closer and subsequently got off of Lapras' shell, hitting land for the first time that day. To their right were large boats—one looked more like a submarine—in the shape of a Steelix and Whiscash. On the other end of the village was a massive boat in the shape of a Wailord. Nearby was the only ordinary-looking houseboat, however it had two Huntail statues situated in the front, near the door. A small magikarp ship floated nearby as well.

"So…this is Seafolk Village?" Niko asked, looking around, "It's really…"

"Tiny?" Charlotte added, with Niko nodding. "Heh, yeah it is isn't it? According to Rotomdex, this is the only major city, town, or village on Poni Island."

"You're kidding," Niko said, looking around in awe. "So there's nothing here basically."

"Except two trials and a Grand Trial!" Niko turned to hear the authoritative voice and was surprised by its origin.

Standing in front of him were two women of varying sizes. The one who spoke to him was short with long black hair and grey gloves. She wore a khaki-colored outfit with black boots and a purple bonnet. She was incredibly short, as well, dwarfed by even Charlotte, who was easily the shortest of the trio.

The woman standing next to the purple bonnet girl looked far more eccentric. For starters, she was nearly as tall as Warren who, for comparison, was only an inch or two shorter than Niko. She had golden-colored hair with pink paint splattered on the sides. She had grey eyes, and her face was marked with pink paint with a relaxed, if aloof, expression. Her shirt was beige with a camouflage pattern of pastel green and pink paints on it. Her leggings and sneakers were both grey, with the former being slightly ripped in certain spots. Slung around her shoulders was a grey bag with painting supplies loosely sitting inside. On her right index finger sat a small charm.

"I'm Hapu, the Island Kahuna!" the short one said, "And this is Mina, Poni Island's only Trial Captain!"

"Sup," Mina said with a casual wave.

"You three must be the ones Nanu told me about. He said you'd be here in roughly a week."

"And you were waiting for us?" Niko asked.

"Does it look like there's much to do here?" Hapu said sarcastically, without leaving her authoritative tone. "Kidding. I just happened to be walking to my friend's boathouse and I saw three confused trainers standing at the edge of the village. Figured they'd be Island Challengers…we've gotten a few of those recently.

Niko nodded with certainty as to who she was referring to.

"So! Last Island, you three ready?"

"Well, it's only those two," Warren said, throwing his arms around Niko and Charlotte. "They'll be your challengers."

"Excellent. You two look tough! Come with me, let's grab some food. I actually have some things I'd like to talk to you about. Mina, you should join us."

"Okay, sure," Mina said lazily before following Hapu in the direction of the Wailord boat.

"This is the fanciest restaurant in all of Poni!" Hapu said as they arrived.

"Sounds like there's a lot of competition," Niko replied, eliciting a giggle from the Kahuna.

"I like you. Niko, was it?" they found a booth and sat down in it. After ordering, Hapu leaned forward towards the trio, who were all sitting on one side of the booth. "So, here's the run-down of Poni Island. There are two trials and a Grand Trial. You can complete the trials in any order you'd like."

"Actually…" Mina piped in, "They can't. I'm busy in the next few days and cannot put together two trials."

"Okay…so you can do the Vast Poni Canyon Trial first, and then Mina's," Hapu said, almost with a sigh. "You and your side job, Mina…"

"I can't help but be a good artist!" Mina whined out—the first time she expressed any sort of emotion. "Plus, the Totem Pokémon is finnicky too."

"Right, of course," Hapu said, looking up at the ceiling in thought. "Alright, so I recommend you go to Vast Poni Canyon first. There is no Trial Captain for it, so you'll simply want to make it to the end of the canyon and challenge the Totem Pokémon directly."

"That's it…?" Niko asked. "Defeating the Totem—that's the trial?"

"The trial is finding the Totem. It's a canyon—a large one at that. Could take you days to get there," Hapu said with a wink. "After that, you can come back to challenge Mina."

"How long does it take to get to the canyon?" Charlotte asked.

"A day or so. But I'd recommend training before it. The Totem Pokémon is certainly a challenge."

"Can you tell us the type it specializes in?" Niko asked, with Hapu quickly shaking her head.

"You will know none of the types used in any of these trials until they begin. At least, you won't hear them from either Mina or myself."

The five trainers finished most of their meal, with Hapu making casual conversation with the trio for much of its duration. Once they finished, Hapu got serious once more.

"I have something else for you three to do for me. It's unrelated to the trials, but you were recommended by Nanu to complete this."

"What is it?" Niko asked. Hapu winked to the waitress, got up, and led the trio and Mina out of the Wailord boathouse and across the village to the Steelix boathouse. Inside was a lengthy living room with lofts towards the back. A young man sat on a nearby couch with a laptop, furiously typing away.

Niko looked around and immediately noticed a small creature floating around near a lightbulb, as if eagerly waiting for it to turn on. It was small and purple with a large head and small limbs with no visible digits. It had a long tail with a small spike on it, giving it an oddly reptilian appearance. The tip of its tail, chest, face and tips of its head spikes were fuchsia. On its head were three small spikes. The side spikes and the top of its head had grey nozzles. Its eyes and mouth gave off a cyan glow.

"What…is that?" Niko asked. He heard Mina audibly shudder.

"Oh… _that thing_ ," Mina said, looking disgusted with the Pokémon.

"Niko, Charlotte…whatever your name is," Hapu said to Warren, who attempted to correct her, "Meet Poipole!"

" _Bzzzt! Poipole, the Poison Pin Pokémon! It's a poison type and is classified as an Ultra Beast! It lives in a different world, and it cackles wildly as it sprays its opponents with poison from the needles on its head!_ "

"What a fascinating Pokémon…" Niko said, looking around at the Poipole. It leered at him, clearly not too fascinated with Niko. "Why are we meeting this little guy?"

"Because I need you to take it home," Hapu said.

"Home? Where does it live?" Niko asked.

"In Ultra Space."

This begged several more questions, all of which Hapu gladly responded to. Sitting on the couch, the trio were educated in the topics of Ultra Beasts, Ultra Space, and Ultra Wormholes. She told them of how they escaped into their world several years ago, and of the team of young trainers who helped the "UBs" get back home. She then looked specifically at Poipole.

"This Poipole descends from a Poipole captured and raised by one of the Ultra Guardians. It's quite popular as a species in its home of Ultra Megalopolis."

"So what are you specifically asking us to do?" Warren asked.

"I'm asking you to take this Poipole back to its home. There are other reasons for why, but those are classified. I will meet you at the Altar of the Moone, on the other side of Vast Poni Canyon, once you complete your trial, and help you open up a wormhole."

"Well, a couple of questions, then," Niko asked. "And I apologize for asking so many."

"No worries, Niko!" Hapu said with a wink, "It's understandable that three foreigners would have so many."

"First: how will you know when we clear the trial? And…why are you asking _us_ specifically to go? Can't you?"

"To answer your first question—it's not a long journey for me and my Mudsdale. I'll make a journey in a few days to see if you've cleared it. If you have, then we'll proceed. As to your second question—again, Nanu recommended you. I suppose you've impressed him—you and Charlotte, that is. That doesn't happen often, let me tell you."

"Well, we're honored…I guess," Niko looked to Poipole, who was fixed on Hapu and Mina, who had a look of terror and disgust the entire time she was sitting down.

"Good. Poipole, you'll follow these three. They're going to take you home," Hapu said with a smile. "Please…be good, alright?"

Poipole nodded, floating around the trio before spraying a purple liquid—and missing—at Niko, who leapt out of the way and shot an angry glare at the Poison Pin Pokémon.

"What was that for?" Niko shouted as Poipole cackled wildly.

"It's a prankster," Hapu said, looking affectionately at the little Ultra Beast.

"That's _not_ a prank! That could kill me!"

"Pfft, this Poipole is young. Its venom can't seriously harm a fully grown human adult—yet. If it hits you, just wash your skin and clothes with warm water and it'll come right off," Hapu explained casually. Niko didn't take his eyes off of Poipole, who was looking towards the lightbulb from earlier.

* * *

As the sun was setting, Niko and his friends set off for the Pokémon Center, Poipole in tow, they prepared to get a decent rest in a real bed before they began their trek to Vast Poni Canyon and their next trial.

"Think Nanu was correct? That old geezer seems very much out of it a lot," Mina asked Hapu as they watched the trio leaving.

"I've known Nanu for years, Mina," Hapu said, "he's rarely wrong about trainers. They'll complete Hau's mission for us."

"So…why Poipole?" Mina followed up.

"It's the only remaining UB in Alola. Hau wants it to go back home. But it serves as a test of whether or not Ultra Megalopolis is safe from this potential threat."

Mina nodded. Hardly any of Hapu's words made sense to her, but she accepted it nevertheless.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Lemme know what y'all think of this Poipole subplot. I was skeptical at first, but I think i've found a way to tie it in to what I want to do with the larger plot coming up.**

 **Also,** **a close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on , the sister site to . If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	40. Gastrodon vs Mudbray!

**Episode 40: Gastrodon vs. Mudbray!**

"Mudbray!" Charlotte shouted, "use stomp!" The Donkey Pokémon charged towards his opponent—a wild Gastrodon that decided to pick a fight with him—and leapt into the air, aiming his front hooves directly at Gastrodon's face. In response, the Sea Slug Pokémon summoned a water pulse and struck Mudbray directly in the face, causing him to crash into the ground.

" _Gastrodon, the Sea Slug Pokémon. Water and ground type,_ " Rotomdex declared, unsure if Charlotte knew anything about it. " _A relative of Shellder and Cloyster, this ocean dweller sometimes comes onto land in search of food_."

"C'mon, Mudbray! You can do this!" Charlotte shouted, "You defeated a Kahuna's ace Pokémon! Use high horsepower!"

Mudbray got back up, albeit slowly, and charged forward towards Gastrodon, who responded by whipping up muddy water from nearby and splashing Mudbray in the side. The Donkey Pokémon, caught off guard by the attack, steered to the right on accident and crashed into a nearby bush, bruising and cutting himself in multiple places.

Charlotte ran over to Mudbray while the Gastrodon, seeing that the battle was effectively over, slid into the shallow waters on the southern coast of Poni Island. "You did great, Mudbray…" Charlotte said in a less than enthusiastic tone. "We've just gotta…Mudbray…?"

The Donkey Pokémon limped away from Charlotte and towards their camp several yards away. He collapsed near Flaaffy, who moved over and rubbed his back.

"Everything okay?" Niko asked his girlfriend quietly.

"I—yeah, it's fine," she said. She felt useless; defeated. Mudbray—the Pokémon who resisted a black hole and took down Nanu's Persian, was defeated by some wild Pokémon. Since capturing the little donkey, she gathered that Mudbray was an introverted, but prideful Pokémon, and his work at the Geothermal Lab had made him stronger. He had proved it in their Grand Trial battle, but now it seemed like his entire world was ripped apart. "Can we talk later?"

"Sure…what about?" Niko asked. Charlotte tilted her head in Mudbray's direction. "Of course, just let me know. I'll be off training."

Charlotte nodded happily before turning to her other five Pokémon, all of whom looked at Mudbray before their trainer. She then started to train with them as well.

It had been less than a day since the trio had left Seafolk Village. After walking for several hours, they made a camp on the edge of the Poni Wilds, a large, relatively open field on the western edge of the island. To the east was called Ancient Poni Path, according to Rotomdex. It went in two directions—to the Ruins of Hope and to Vast Poni Canyon.

So far, the trio seemed to enjoy Poni Island. It was calmer—there weren't as many people travelling nearby them, and they didn't seem to have to worry about finding food. On the flip side, however, they did have to worry about more wild Pokémon attacking them. Due to the lack of people inhabiting the island, the Pokémon came off as not only more feral, but also stronger. This is how Charlotte and Mudbray ended up in a conflict with a wild Gastrodon.

Charlotte watched her Pokémon train. Lapras, being able to swim in the water, continued her training with Vaporeon. The Bubble Jet Pokémon was attempting to learn aqua tail, as Niko felt like the move might be useful in combination with another, such as water pulse or even aurora beam. Lapras acted as a test subject for her practice. Charlotte smiled at the two—they really got along well.

She turned to Decidueye, who was practicing his arrow release by aiming towards the ocean. Charlotte watched him fire spirit shackle arrows at blinding speed before stopping after a minute, clearly exhausted. Off nearby, Salazzle and Noivern were doing battle, trying to get better at dodging aerial moves (in Noivern's case) or land-based moves (in Salazzle's case). The two, in an odd way, complimented one another.

Then there was Flaaffy and Mudbray. The two sat there watching the others. Maybe Flaaffy didn't want to train—he didn't as Mareep, who's to say that tendency didn't return? —or he was simply keeping Mudbray company. The Wool Pokémon was Mudbray's only true friend out of the bunch. Eventually, Mudbray made a motion to suggest Flaaffy go and train. The Wool Pokémon turned to him before getting up and, reluctantly, summoning pink gems from his palms and pink wool, electricity charging them up.

Charlotte looked with wide eyes as Flaaffy fired the power gem into the distance, nearly hitting Lapras in the side of the head. The Transport Pokémon leered angrily at her teammate, who simply waved his hands apologetically.

"Did you just—?" Charlotte asked curiously. Flaaffy then sat back down. Training was done for him.

Meanwhile, Niko was busy working with Toucannon, Ribombee, and Drampa on their moves. Vaporeon was with Lapras working on aqua tail, and Incineroar was away in the forest, presumably trying to find a strong opponent to challenge.

Toucannon was growing more accustomed to using his beak blast attack—a move that, initially, seemed like a one-off sort of move from Niko's perspective. However, it proved to be unusually powerful. On his first try Toucannon lit a nearby tree on fire, forcing Vaporeon and Lapras to end their training to extinguish the flames. Nearby, Ribombee and Drampa were training independently, as the Placid Pokémon's moves didn't affect the fairy-type Ribombee.

Drampa was focused on learning dragon pulse, a move Niko figured was important to understand. When he showed Drampa what the moved looked like—using Rotomdex of course—it dawned on him that the friendly dragon hadn't learned any new techniques in years. The elderly Pokémon—likely Niko's oldest Pokémon ever—took a while to even muster the energy to use dragon pulse before quickly exhausting himself.

 _He managed to fare so well against Nanu…what's going on with him now?_ Niko wondered. Drampa were relatively strong Pokémon, but their true power seemed to be more of an enigma than anything. He pondered that for the rest of the way while watching the other Pokémon train.

During all of this, Poipole sat and observed all of this from high in the air. It laid face-forward on a branch and casually, comfortably watched the other Pokémon train, exerting themselves to use a wide variety of different moves. The Poison Pin Pokémon found it to be fascinating.

* * *

That evening, while Warren was writing in his journal with his Pokémon next to him, Niko sat with Charlotte at the water's edge. They were sitting several feet above the ocean, so the drop wasn't terrible. However, it wasn't like a normal coast that they were used to.

"The Pokémon are tired today," Niko said, looking behind him at his team, all of whom were resting together. Charlotte also looked back at them, noticing Mudbray in particular sulking away from the others. Niko noticed this too, as well as his girlfriend's dour expression, and continued. "Why are you so worried about Mudbray?"

"His pride was crushed today," Charlotte said.

"I getcha. Incineroar is still trying to figure his out, too. Not only is he mad at me for getting rained on, but he also doesn't seem to want to listen to anyone, regardless of who they are."

"I don't get that, though. You're a strong trainer—Incineroar should understand that!" Charlotte declared.

"Right, but he doesn't. That's the problem, Charlotte," Niko said. "He knows I'm capable, but maybe he just wants me to prove it to him. Maybe he's questioning it, especially after that accident in the rain."

"He must really be stuck up if he holds a grudge for _that_."

"I think it was just icing on the cake, honestly," Niko replied. Incineroar wasn't a stupid Pokémon. No—he knew what he was doing. He was probably using that as an excuse, more than anything, to make Niko realize that he is to be taken seriously. "So what's really bothering you? Until our Grand Trial, you and Mudbray didn't seem to connect all that well."

"What do you mean?" Charlotte asked.

"Well, right after you caught him you seemed off put by him, in a bizarre way. Like…you regretted it but couldn't take it back. Is that true?"

Charlotte was silent for a while, trying to come up with the right words to express her feelings. "Sort of…I just, it's complicated."

"I have time," Niko said, lightly touching her hand that was resting on her lap. Charlotte nodded, looking down at the small waves below, and began.

She explained her initial feelings in catching Mudbray—to make a point to Dr. Glowman about the problems of using Pokémon for free labor. However, his words still had an effect on her. She teared up as she explained her conflicting feelings about the morality of her capture. Was Mudbray supposed to be released instead, left to do his own thing in the wild?

"By the sound of it, you really want him around now," Niko said, reaching an arm over her shoulders and pulling her in.

"Well…sort of. I'm not sure what to do about it!" Charlotte said, raising her voice. Luckily, no one really heard her, as most of their group was asleep now. "I'm starting to like having him around, and I think he was too. Until today. That's when I began to regret all of this. The two of us weren't in sync enough for him to defeat a _wild_ Pokémon, of all things!"

"To be fair, you were at a disadvantage," Niko said.

"Well, I sure was against Nanu! But Mudbray resisted a _black hole_! Niko! A black hole! Your Pokémon couldn't even do that!"

Niko nodded in agreement. He didn't quite know what to tell Charlotte. It seemed, at least to him, that she had made her choice and knew exactly what to do about it. However, that didn't make the conflict any easier to deal with.

"The fact that this is even bothering you is one of the reasons why I like you, Charlotte," Niko finally said after his girlfriend calmed down. "You care."

"If I cared I would have released Mudbray."

"True, and there is a bit of hubris in the way you dealt with it. You thought that you could provide a better life for Mudbray than the wild could. Plus—Dr. Glowman could just go and find Mudbray if you did release him, or just capture another one. But you believed that raising and training Pokémon is far more preferable to free labor, especially for someone who works with Ferdinand Diamond. But ultimately you chose what you thought was best for Mudbray, and for yourself. That's _not_ a bad thing."

Charlotte nodded, leaning into Niko's side. "Thanks, Niko. I just hope Mudbray feels like this was the right choice, too."

"I'm sure he does, at least privately. But tomorrow you two should talk about it, I think. Let him know how you really feel, too."

"I will."

* * *

When Charlotte woke up she saw Mudbray walking away from their camp and towards some tall grass. Before acting on her Pokémon's actions, she watched the Donkey Pokémon stomping the ground furiously before charging around—using high horsepower, clearly. After seeing Mudbray run around in circles for a few minutes, she got up and approached her friend and companion.

"Hey buddy," Charlotte said in a tired, slow voice. "sleep well?"

Mudbray didn't look at Charlotte directly, preferring to look at the ground instead. She smiled, which belied her true feelings. She was worried for Mudbray.

"You didn't like losing yesterday, did you?" she asked, crouching low to Mudbray's eye level. The Donkey Pokémon finally looked back through the small slit in his eye. "I get that. I participated in a Pokémon League several months ago, and I didn't do as well as I had hoped. I wanted to quit, wanted to throw in the towel, but I didn't. I found a new goal to strive for, and that's what led me to Alola. That's, well, how I met you.

"And you know, Mudbray, I'm glad I did. You were cooped up in a Geothermal Plant and weren't adequately cared for. I wanted to capture you to give you a better life. You're strong, independent, and prideful. That's the kind of person that I want to be, as well."

Mudbray's eyes widened slightly. He was surprised by Charlotte's declaration.

"I was worried about whether or not catching you was the right thing—to be honest. But looking back, that was silly. It's what I thought was best, and in hindsight you didn't seem to mind. Do you enjoy being with us?"

The Donkey Pokémon shrugged before nodding slightly.

"Then let's do everything in our power to be the people—and Pokémon—that we want to be. That means getting back up and moving forward. You're already doing that, just like I did. And I'm proud of you for it."

Mudbray, in a rare expression of joy, smiled at Charlotte. He then began to glow a bright white color, growing into a massive equine-like Pokémon that was far taller than Charlotte was.

His evolved form had short, brown fur and a black-and-red mane and tail. His heavy-lidded, black eyes had a red rim along the bottom, a red blaze on the muzzle, and long, pointed black ears with brown insides. His mane extended down around his eyes. Along the top of his neck, his mane was black with red at the tips and stood straight up. On either side of his neck, the mane formed three thick structures similar to dreadlocks with red mud around the tips. The mane extended down his back in a thin line before becoming his tail. Around his hooves was a protective coating of red mud, with three notches around the bottom.

"Woah…you got _big_ ," Charlotte said, looking up at Mudbray's evolved form. By now Niko, Warren, their Pokémon, and Rotomdex were all awake and also staring at the large horse-like Pokémon.

" _Bzzzt! Charlotte, that's a Mudsdale! It's a ground type and is known as the Draft Horse Pokémon! It can trudge mountain roads without rest for three days and three nights, all the while dragging a 10-ton load!_ "

Niko's eyes widened. "That's incredible!"

Mudsdale whinnied at the comments from humans and Pokémon alike before leaning forward and nuzzling Charlotte's cheek, caking it with mud. She laughed softly before caressing Mudsdale.

Just as she and her Pokémon went to start their day, they heard something moving near the water. Seconds later, a Gastrodon appeared jumping onto the land on the coast, looking ready for a battle. Mudsdale immediately recognized it and got in front of Charlotte protectively.

"I guess it wants a re-match," Niko said in reference to the Draft Horse Pokémon. "Go, Mudsdale!"

The rest of the Pokémon began to cheer as Gastrodon fired off a water pulse, to which Mudsdale spun around and kicked the orb with his hind foot, preemptively causing it to burst. Mudsdale then turned back around and charged at Gastrodon before leaping into the air and slamming down on it with his entire body weight.

"Rotomdex…what were those moves? Also…how heavy is an average Mudsdale?" Warren asked.

" _Mudsdale first used mega kick to repel the water pulse and followed up with heavy slam, a steel type move. Also, the average Mudsdale is roughly 2028.3 lbs._ "

"Holy shit," Warren said with wonder.

Mudsdale then turned back around, away from the crushed Gastrodon, and slammed his back right hoof into his opponent's face, rocketing the Sea Slug Pokémon off of the coast and through the air before it landed in the ocean nearly half of a mile away.

Charlotte was in awe by the sheer power of her new Pokémon. This is what Mudbray could do?

"Great job, Mudsdale!" Charlotte said in praise. "Now, let's go eat! You certainly deserve it!" she said, jogging with the Draft Horse Pokémon back to their camp. The jovial Mudsdale first turned to Flaaffy, leaning down to presumably offer the Wool Pokémon a ride on his back. Flaaffy accepted, and the two rode around their small area of Poni Island. For the first time, Charlotte saw purpose in Mudsdale's eyes. The only other moment she saw anything close to this was against Nanu in their Grand Trial.

"You did great, Charlotte," Niko said, bringing his girlfriend in for a side-hug. "And you did the right thing."

"Thanks for the help, again," Charlotte said with some humility in her tone.

"Wasn't really me. Plus, you've helped me through problems on several occasions, too!" Niko argued, "I really appreciate it. And, well, you."

"Ditto, Niko, ditto," Charlotte said softly as Mudsdale, Flaaffy, and the other Pokémon all joined in to ride on the former's back—one by one.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey y'all, a close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on , the sister site to . If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	41. Hope

**Episode 41: Hope**

The road to Vast Poni Canyon ran through Ancient Poni Path, but when Niko and his friends made it to the T-intersection, he decided differently. He turned to their right, in the direction of the Ruins of Hope.

"We should check it out, at least," Niko said as he looked from Warren to Charlotte, Rotomdex, and eventually Poipole. "I mean think about it—Charlotte, you and I have seen every Ruin in Alola so far, why not see all of them?"

" _Bzzzt…wh-what if the Guardian Deity attacks us?_ " Rotomdex asked, clearly not up for this.

"Then we'll leave. We haven't had to fight one before, right?" Niko said. No one objected to this, and the party continued down the coast towards the Ruins of Hope. Poipole in particular seemed excited by this and led the way, which Niko found fascinating.

He hadn't thought much of the little Ultra Beast since it joined their group. He had been more focused on training his Pokémon and helping Charlotte with her relationship with Mudbray. But even if they cleared their next trial, they still had another purpose in travelling through the canyon. They needed to get this little creature home.

 _But I still don't seem to get why Hapu can't? Or Hau? Why us? And why now?_ Niko thought to himself. It didn't make any sense to him, and the more he mulled it over, the more it seemed to annoy him.

"Hey, Poipole," Niko eventually said, catching the Ultra Beast's attention. "You live in Ultra Space, right?"

Poipole thought about that for a moment before shaking its head.

 _Of course it would say no! It would be like asking me if I lived in Ultra Space!_ "What's your home planet, or whatever it's called, like?"

Poipole looked around before shaking his head. Niko had no idea what this meant and turned to Rotomdex to help him.

" _If I were to guess, I'd say Poipole is trying to say that it's nothing like this?_ " Rotomdex said in what seemed to be a shot in the dark. Fortunately, Poipole spun around to the pokédex and nodded happily.

"Makes sense. Well, we'll take you home soon enough. Are you excited?"

Poipole turned back to Niko and seemed to offer an aloof response. It didn't seem to care at all. But maybe Niko was simply misinterpreting the strange little Pokémon.

The Ruins of Hope were not what Niko and his friends expected. For starters, the waves were constantly crashing against the shore in varying sizes and strengths. The ground was beaten and dark, in stark contrast to the rest of Poni Island. Rigid rocks formed a circle around a depressed bit of land that, Niko quickly noticed, led to the Ruins of Hope.

"There it is!" Niko said.

"C-can we go, then?" Charlotte asked as she was sprayed by water from a particularly merciless wave.

"Yeah, I think so," Niko said, turning to go. As he did, he heard a creature singing. Niko turned to see the source and saw a white and light blue Pokémon with a blue mermaid's tail leap out of the waves, extending its two white arms in either direction and singing a beautiful melody. "What…is that…?"

" _Bzzzt, that's a Primarina, Niko! It's known as the Soloist Pokémon and is a water and fairy type. To Primarina, every battle is a stage. It takes down its prey with—huh?_ " the pokédex stopped reciting its information as Niko was already running off to greet the Soloist Pokémon's trainer.

"Melinda!" Niko shouted, embracing his friend and rival. The dark-haired, glasses-wearing trainer returned the hug before looking up at Niko cheerfully.

"Niko, it's been a while. How are you?"

"I'm doing alright. What…are you doing here?"

"Preparing for Mina's trial. We just cleared the Vast Poni Canyon trial, and Mina said she'd be busy for a few days, so we decided to check out more of the island. You remember Primarina, right? It's Popplio's final form."

"Yes, hi there," Niko said with a friendly wave to Primarina. It responded in kind. By now the rest of his group had showed up and greeted Melinda as well.

"What's that?" Melinda asked, pointing to Poipole. Primarina edged away from the little creature. Niko then explained why they had Poipole in the first place, although he didn't explicitly explain the mission he was on. He figured that it wasn't supposed to be told to other people, no matter how much he trusted them. "Oh, gotcha. It looks…kind of cute, actually."

"That's what I thought. But it's kind of sassy, actually."

"Nothing wrong with that," Melinda said with a wink to Niko. "Anyways, I take it you just got to Poni Island?"

"Charlotte and I are on our way to Vast Poni Canyon for that trial. I wanted to come here first to check out the ruins, and we were about to leave when I heard Primarina singing. It has a wonderful voice, by the way."

"Yeah, that's for sure," Melinda said, looking up at her fully evolved Pokémon with pride. "We're doing it to help Primarina work on Oceanic Operetta. It's a Z-move exclusive to Primarina."

"Oh! Charlotte and I got those, too!" Niko said, reaching into his bag to pull out Incinium-Z. Charlotte did the same with Decidium-Z.

"Oh, wow! Did you get them at—"

"Ruins of Abundance? Yes," Niko said, "Torracat and Dartrix felt drawn to them, so we had to cross the Haina Desert to find them."

Melinda nodded. "That's exactly how I got mine. Although Brionne and I were already in the desert, so it wasn't too much of a trek. Actually, since you've got that Z-crystal, mind if we battle? Three on three?"

"Uh…sure," Niko said, initially unsure. He knew Melinda would want to battle his Incineroar, but that was the last thing he was interested in doing. First off, the Heel Pokémon would be at a disadvantage. Secondly, he wasn't listening to Niko anyways!"

Melinda, as usual, caught on to his uncertainty. "Is that okay with you?"

"What? Yeah, of course!" Niko said. "Let's go for it!"

* * *

The two rivals stood opposite one another near the entrance to the Ruins of Hope, so that they could avoid the water spraying everywhere. Niko and Melinda both withdrew a pokéball and began.

"Dugtrio, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning a familiar ground type. It, however, had a full head of luscious gold hair.

"Vaporeon, you're up!" Niko said, summoning the Bubble Jet Pokémon.

"Oh, you evolved your Eevee!"

"I've evolved all of my Pokémon," Niko said with a wink. "Alright buddy, let's start off with water pulse!"

"Dugtrio, use sand tomb!" Melinda commanded. Dugtrio spun around in the ground, whipping up a tornado of sand around Vaporeon and successfully blocking the water pulse. "Now, use magnitude!"

"Vaporeon, jump forward to use aqua tail!" Niko commanded. Vaporeon nodded, charging forward and eventually jumping to avoid the powerful magnitude before flipping forward and landing her water-coated tail on top of Dugtrio, who responded with an aggressive iron head, thrusting her back into the air. "Water pulse!"

In her daze, Vaporeon summoned a second water pulse, this time landing successfully and causing Dugtrio to retreat into the ground for a moment. Vaporeon landed and waited before feeling the earth quake beneath her. Melinda had commanded her Pokémon to use magnitude once more.

"Aurora beam the ground!" Niko said in a desperate, albeit possibly misguided, strategy. Vaporeon nodded, freezing the ground around her. However, it hardly seemed to work when Dugtrio re-appeared underneath her, slamming upwards with iron head. Vaporeon roared out in pain as she flew high into the air before crashing onto the ground behind her opponent, now defeated.

"Return, Vaporeon," Niko said with a frown. This wasn't going the way he had hoped. _Vaporeon is the only one with a direct advantage._ Then he thought more. _Wait…no. Dugtrio is steel type. Isn't it weak to…fire?_

No. He couldn't use Incineroar. The Heel Pokémon wouldn't listen to him! But did he have much of a choice? Ribombee and Drampa could withstand Dugtrio's attacks—possibly—but couldn't deal enough damage to defeat it, especially if Vaporeon couldn't.

 _I'll take the risk, then. It's not like I have much to lose here_ , Niko thought to himself. "Incineroar, I choose you!"

"What's he doing?" Warren asked curiously. "He hasn't seriously used Incineroar in a while."

Charlotte shot a glare at him. "Quieter, please," she said.

Meanwhile, Poipole watched with interest as Niko summoned the massive, bipedal feline Pokémon. As soon as Incineroar entered the field, he turned to Niko and growled at him.

"Dugtrio, magnitude!" Melinda commanded. The Mole Pokémon viciously shook the ground around them, causing Incineroar to lose balance and fall flat on his face. Getting back up, he turned to Niko, clearly threatening to do harm to his trainer when his claws lit up on fire.

But Niko simply stood there, only flinching at the sight of the fire in his Pokémon's hands. He stood expressionless as Incineroar moved towards him slowly, as if he was prowling around his prey.

"Niko, watch out!" Charlotte shouted, worried for the still-motionless Niko.

"You going to hurt me, Incineroar?" Niko said calmly. "Over what? You losing? You accidentally getting wet from rain? Taking a hit from a Pokémon that has an advantage over you? Is that how you're going to go through your life? Being thin-skinned and insensitive? That's not the Litten that I knew, nor the Torracat that I knew. They got back up when they were beaten down, and they didn't give up. You seem to constantly do that, or if you don't you lash out to avoid your personal problems.

"I'm your trainer, Incineroar. I will do whatever it takes to not only make sure you're safe and healthy, but that you will be as strong as you want to be. You enjoy the thrill of battling, don't you? You enjoy wanting to fight and be the best? So. Do. I. But I can't do that if you're going to act petulant and childish all of the time.

"Now, I can return you, to this pokéball," he held up the red-and-white ball, "or we can fight together, against our friend Melinda and her Dugtrio. Your choice."

Incineroar calmed down for a moment, the flames extinguishing from his hands. He turned to Melinda and Dugtrio before, unexpectedly, releasing a jet of flames from his belt, hitting Dugtrio and leaving a nasty burn on the Mole Pokémon's golden hair.

"Now, Incineroar! Finish it with double kick!" Niko shouted, sensing an opening. Incineroar, for the first time, charged forward and slammed a glowing foot into Dugtrio's face before spinning around and striking the ground type with the back of his other glowing foot. Dugtrio rocketed backwards, hitting a wall behind Melinda and collapsing in defeat.

"Return, Dugtrio. Well done, Niko," Melinda said, impressed. "Not sure what that monologue was about. You'll have to tell me about it sometime. Passimian, I choose you!"

"Passimian, eh?" Niko asked. "Incineroar, do you wanna continue?"

Incineroar turned to Niko and shook his head, for whatever reason. Niko obeyed his Pokémon's wishes, and returned.

"Toucannon, I choose you!" Niko shouted, summoning the large, colored-beak Pokémon. "Use beak blast!"

"Protect!" Melinda commanded. The Teamwork Pokémon whipped up a light protective shield that blocked from the blast of energy emanating from Toucannon's beak. "Now, close combat!"

"Drill peck!" Niko commanded. Toucannon shot forward, his curved, colored beak glowing a shiny white before slamming it into Passimian. In return, the lemur-like creature began punching, kicking, and hitting its new opponent with the fruit in its hand before slamming Toucannon into the ground with a decisive kick. "Echoed voice!"

Toucannon shrieked loudly, causing Passimian to let go of the fruit in its hand to cover its ears. Toucannon took the opportunity to then fired off a quick, albeit weaker, beak blast to fully knock Passimian off of its feet.

"Great job! Now, use drill peck!" Niko commanded. Toucannon rose a few feet into the air before crashing down, beak first, onto the Teamwork Pokémon. Passimian fell backwards in defeat.

"Return," Melinda said. "Primarina, I choose you!"

"Toucannon, let's keep going!" Niko said, thinking that if Toucannon faints, all he has left is Incineroar, who didn't seem up for battling. "Use beak blast!"

"Primarina, sparkling aria!" Melinda commanded. Primarina stood up on its tail and began to sing, forming an orb of water above its head. It then threw the orb at Toucannon, who wasn't able to conjure beak blast in time to block it. "Now, use moonblast!"

Again, the Soloist Pokémon created an orb, this time of pure light energy, and fired it. Toucannon took the attack again before collapsing onto the ground.

"Moonblast again!" Melinda called out. However, Toucannon managed to get back onto his feet and use echoed voice to prematurely burst the sparkling aria.

"Drill peck!" Niko commanded.

"Sing!" Melinda commanded. Primarina bellowed out a soft melody that caused Toucannon to, once again, crash into the ground, now asleep. "And follow up with sparkling aria!" she commanded, dealing the final blow to the toucan Pokémon.

"Return," Niko said, releasing a sigh. "You got me, Melinda."

"Are you forfeiting?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Niko shook his head. "No, I don't do that anymore. Just that it's going to be harder to win on my end. Incineroar, I choose you!"

"This is what I've been waiting for," Melinda said with a smirk. "Primarina, you ready? Use moonblast!"

"Incineroar, this'll hurt if you don't listen to me, alright?" Niko said. "Use flamethrower!" Incineroar nodded, releasing a jet of flames from his belt, engulfing the moonblast and reducing its power before rolling out of the way to dodge the rest. "Good job! Now, let's use darkest lariat!"

"Sparkling aria!" Melinda commanded. Incineroar whipped up flames in his hands before spinning around and moving like a twister towards his opponent.

"Don't be afraid…" Niko said calmly, "don't give in. Incineroar, go!"

The Heel Pokémon collided with the orb of water, causing it to explode. However, he kept going, spinning through the spraying water and slamming directly into Primarina.

"Double kick!" Niko shouted. Incineroar kicked the Soloist Pokémon in the side before, like with Dugtrio earlier, spinning around and slamming the back side of his foot into Primarina, knocking it to the ground. "Now, let's go!" Niko shouted, inserting the Incinium-Z into his Z-ring.

"Oh, are we doing that now?" Melinda asked, lifting up her Z-ring to reveal a light blue Z-crystal. She performed a series of poses, as did Niko, before Z-energy transferred to both of their Pokémon.

Incineroar surrounded himself in a yellow-orange fire before leaping into the air before slamming, chest-first, into Primarina and causing an explosion around them, whipping up dust and dirt and covering everyone in it. However, Primarina had just conjured a massive orb of water, far larger than the sparkling aria before, and threw it down on top of the both of them, with Incineroar taking the brunt of the attack when the orb burst on his back. A wave of water crashed down around them, barely missing Charlotte and Warren, who managed to hide in the entrance to the Ruins of Hope.

In the aftermath of the dual explosion, Primarina found itself underneath Incineroar, carefully removing the large feline from on top of it, she crawled out and stood up, proud of her victory.

Niko ran over to his Pokémon, covered in water. "Hey…Incineroar," Niko said quietly. "You alright?"

Incineroar looked up at Niko, clearly upset, but not at him. Before fainting, he smirked.

"Return," Niko said, holding out the Heel Pokémon's pokéball. He stood up and held out his hand to Melinda. "Well done."

"Same to you. I can tell that was your first time using Malicious Moonsault."

"You could?" Niko asked, surprised.

"Yep! The way you and Incineroar were interacting, it seemed like you finally got into sync with one another. That's important to use these particular Z-moves. So…congrats!" she said, high-fiving Niko. "Anyways, I should get going so I can heal up these guys."

"Best of luck against Mina, and then Hapu," Niko said with a wink.

"Thanks, same to you. Hopefully we can go to the Alola League together!" Melinda said, now reaching in to hug Niko. He returned it, remembering why he was friends with Melinda. She was a caring friend—and rival—who wanted to continue getting stronger alongside him. Competing against one another in a Pokémon League was an example of that.

She turned to say good-bye to Charlotte and Warren, as well as Poipole, who seemed like it was "zoning out," then, with Primarina at her side, she left the Ruins of Hope, braving the aggressive waves around her.

"Today was a good day," Warren said to Niko as they left the ruins minutes later. "Except for getting all of this dirt on me."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Niko said apologetically.

"No worries! You rekindled your relationship with Incineroar, and that's what matters!" Warren said excitedly. "Now you and him can take on this next trial together!"

"You're right," Niko said, feeling a little more hopeful about his chances. Not that he had much reason to worry—his team of Pokémon were strong enough as it was. The re-addition of Incineroar, however, made his chances of doing well in the Alola League all that more likely.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey y'all, a close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on , the sister site to . If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	42. Dragon pulse

**Episode 42: Dragon pulse**

Hapu wasn't joking when she mentioned that it would take days to get to the end of Vast Poni Canyon. By the end of the same day Niko battled Melinda at the Ruins of Hope, the trio had walked along the Ancient Poni Path to the entrance of the canyon. The following morning, they began their trial, which was split into two parts.

The first part was getting to the Totem's Den at the other end of the canyon. This, Hapu said, was the more difficult part of the trial, as the Vast Poni Canyon could take several days to traverse. The second part was the actual battle with the Totem Pokémon. While walking through the canyon, they tried to figure out what type of Pokémon they might encounter, as each trial had a specific type specialty.

"The ones we haven't encountered yet are psychic, ice, flying, dragon, fairy, steel, and ground," Niko said, "I think that's all."

"Well, probably not flying, since we both have those Z-crystals," Charlotte mentioned. "And I think Hapu is a ground type specialist anyways, since she mentioned she has a Mudsdale."

Niko nodded. His girlfriend had a point. "I think it's either steel or dragon."

"In either case, you can handle that quite well," Charlotte said with a smile. "Drampa, Vaporeon, Ribombee, and Incineroar all are effective."

"And you have Noivern, Salazzle, Mudsdale, and Lapras," Niko said, "that's something, too!"

"Guys…" Warren said, doubling over and panting. "Can we stop? We've been walking all day."

Niko then realized how tired his legs felt as well. "Guess I wasn't paying much attention to my body. Damn…" he said, also doubling over. He blinked—this didn't feel good at all.

It was sunset, and the group sat over a ledge overlooking much of the canyon that they'd already passed. It was a beautiful sight, Niko thought. They were at one of the highest points on Poni Island, as he could see the ocean off in the distance. Turning around, he noticed a massively tall structure in the other direction.

"That's where we have to go…" Niko said, pointing to the structure. Charlotte, Warren, Rotomdex, and Poipole all turned to look as well. Poipole in particular registered an awestruck expression. "Altar of the Moone," he looked at the Poison Pin Pokémon. "And your home."

Poipole nodded, not even expressing a smirk with it cyan mouth. It simply looked at Niko, now expressionless.

"Well, at least we know what direction to go in," Warren said as he leaned against the rock wall behind him. He knew that this wasn't necessarily true—the canyon had many winding paths that seemingly took them in odd directions, sometimes making them question if they were going in the right direction in the first place.

Later that evening, Niko was the last one awake when he noticed Poipole floating around, almost aimlessly. He watched the little purple Pokémon move around, surveying the area around it.

"Ultra Beast…are those powerful?" Niko asked, not to anyone in particular. Poipole heard him and turned around, staring at him with its cyan eyes. "Oh, sorry. I was just talking to myself."

Poipole didn't seem to understand the concept of "talking to myself," and floated towards Niko, spinning around his head. Communicating with the little Pokémon was difficult enough as it was. Niko had no idea what the Poison Pin Pokémon was trying to say to him, if it was saying anything at all.

"Do you evolve?" Niko asked. Poipole thought for a moment and nodded. "Gotcha. Is that evolution a strong Pokémon? As in, can it defeat its opponents easily?"

Poipole nodded quickly. Yes, this little thing had the potential to be very strong.

"Well, that's good. So are there a lot of Pokémon like you where you're from?" Poipole nodded. "I bet that's nice. Do you have any friends or family back home?" To this, Poipole looked away, a sad expression etched on its face. "Oh…I'm sorry to hear that. Well, I'm sure you'll be able to make some friends when you get home!"

He did understand what it was like to feel alone, but in hindsight Niko had never truly been alone. He couldn't imagine how, in a world full of creatures like Poipole, that something as active and full of expression as this Ultra Beast could feel alone.

Then another question popped into his head. One that seemed obvious from the start.

"How did you get here? Into our world, I mean. Did you just fall through a wormhole, or were you born here?"

Poipole looked at him, and then stared off in the distance towards the Altar of the Moone, providing Niko with the answer he sought.

"Ah. So you fell through the wormhole. You know, I'll be honest, I have no idea why we're the ones tasked with taking you home. Not that it's out of the way for us, obviously, but we're just some travelers," Niko admitted, noticing Poipole listening to him intently. "To be fair, I've had experience dealing with scary villains and powerful, legendary Pokémon. But you're neither of those things. Why couldn't Hapu, or Hau, or even Mina do this?"

Poipole nodded, presumably in agreement. It hardly knew Niko and took him at his word that he wasn't some special authority, or hardly special at all. Niko realized this in the Poison Pin Pokémon's blank expression and subsequent head bob.

"Have you ever battled before, Poipole?" Niko then asked. He was beginning to enjoy the time spent with the little creature. At first, he didn't think much of Poipole—some annoying little Pokémon that he had to take care of for no apparent reason—but now the little purple creature was growing on him.

To Niko's question, Poipole shook its head.

"Never? So…you don't know your own strength?" Poipole shook its head a second time. "I get that. I've owned a lot of Pokémon, Poipole. Some of them are adept at battling, and some had never battled before. You know my Vaporeon? She came from an egg, actually. Interestingly enough, the egg was the offspring of one of my best friend's Pokémon," he then remembered what Hapu had said about this particular Poipole. "So you also come from a line of well-known Pokémon, right?" Poipole nodded, albeit solemnly. "Hmm…did you ever know your parents?" Poipole shook its head. "That's really unfortunate. I hope you get to meet them one day. I'm sure they miss you."

Poipole seemed to get upset by this and lashed out by spraying purple liquid near Niko's feet. He immediately stood in response.

"What the hell?" Niko said in a stern voice. "That wasn't okay!"

Poipole immediately retracted itself, floating away from Niko and towards the edge of the cliff overlooking the canyon, and didn't pay attention to Niko for the remainder of the night. Meanwhile, Niko moved over to where Charlotte was and promptly went to sleep.

* * *

The following morning, Niko and Charlotte spent some time training. During that session, Poipole intently watched Incineroar, Vaporeon, Ribombee, Drampa, and Toucannon all train, either with one another or separately. The purple creature found a particular interest in Drampa, who was still trying to master dragon pulse. Niko noticed this and approached the two of them.

"Guess you have an audience, Drampa," Niko said, eying Poipole. "Is this interesting to you?" Poipole nodded, which seemed to please Drampa as well. "Now, let's continue. Drampa, try using dragon breath this time, but put more energy than you usually would into it. That's because dragon pulse is a more powerful move, and it is exclusively energy-based. It's different than just spraying fire on your opponent. It's, I guess, becoming one with your dragon type?" Niko said, wondering how much sense he was making.

Drampa nodded, clearly focusing himself. He then roared out loudly, the sound echoing through the canyon, before he fired off a bright purple beam of energy.

"Yes! Yes, Drampa, that's it!" Niko shouted, thrusting a fist into the air. Poipole chittered excitedly as well, spinning around Drampa's head before holding out an arm. The Placid Pokémon nodded, bopping the tiny arm with his enormous head. Niko let out a sigh of relief. "You finally learned a new move. That's, what, your first one in years?"

Drampa nodded, clearly proud of himself.

By the end of the day the trio had made substantial progress in their journey to the Totem's Den. During that time, Niko recounted parts of his conversation with Poipole to Charlotte and Warren. He specifically left out the more personal parts of their interview, specifically about Poipole being alone and not having met its parents before.

"So you're a pretty powerful Pokémon, aren't you?" Charlotte asked Poipole, who smiled widely in response. "That's exciting! I'm sure whatever trainer catches you will be very lucky."

"It's never battled before, though," Niko added. "But you're right, Charlotte. Poipole definitely has potential!"

That night, the trio spent time at the bottom of the canyon, in stark contrast to the night before. Now, their only view was of the rock walls that defined the canyon. Niko noticed thin stripes, all in different shades of brown, tan, grey, and even pink, lining the walls of Vast Poni Canyon. He remembered learning something about how the age of a rock could be determined by factors such as their color in a geology class he took as a child. However, he didn't remember much, and continued thinking about other things.

One such thing was Poipole. The Pokémon was going to go home without any friends or relatives. It would go back to a home it hardly even knew. Niko gathered that it was still relatively young, as based on its battling experience (or lack thereof), and likely didn't spend much time in Ultra Megalopolis compared to its time spent in Alola.

All of this begged the question: was this "mission" even necessary?

* * *

"So…this is the Totem's Den?" Niko asked as they approached a cave entrance. It had the typical "Island Challenge" archway on the front of the entrance.

"Guess so," Charlotte said, turning to her boyfriend. "I went first against Nanu—you're up."

Niko nodded, stepping forward. Following him was Rotomdex, as expected, but also Poipole, so seemed to want to join him as well. Niko noticed this and looked at the Poison Pin Pokémon.

"You're coming?" Niko asked.

"Why shouldn't it?" Warren commented. "This will be the only chance it gets to see a trial up close!"

"Right, c'mon then," Niko said as they walked into the cave together. "Just stay behind me, away from the action, alright?"

Poipole nodded. As soon as they entered they heard something moving along the ceiling. Niko paused, trying to gather himself. The cave was oddly lit, albeit dimly. Looking around, he saw nothing other than a pedestal towards what he believed to be the exit.

" _Bzzzt…that's the Z-crystal, I think_ ," Rotomdex said.

"Right…let's go see what it is," Niko said. As he ran off to the pedestal, he saw something leap off of the ceiling towards him. He spun to the right and jumped backwards as a Pokémon landed where he was a moment ago.

It was a small, dinosaur-like Pokémon standing on four legs. The lower half of its body was black and the upper half was light gray. It had a beak-like snout with a small, tooth-like spike in each corner of its lower jaw and big, red eyes. On the front of its head was a large, heart-shaped yellow scale. Six teardrop-shaped, loose-hanging scales formed a half-ring around its shoulders. These scales were gray with pale yellow along the outside edge. A solid yellow scale sat on the tip of its tail.

" _That's a Jangmo-o! It's a dragon type and is known as the Scaly Pokémon! It smacks the scales on its head against rocks or against the ground to frighten its opponents. It can also contact its friends with these noises_."

Rotomdex's statement came true when Jangmo-o did just that. It slammed its tail-scale on the ground, releasing a loud clanging sound that summoned two more of its kind, each on one side.

Just as Niko pulled out a pokéball to defend himself, Poipole rushed forward and sprayed purple liquid from the top spike on its head. Some of the liquid got on the Jangmo-o, who roared out ferociously and ran forward to headbutt Poipole.

"Ribombee, dazzling gleam!" Niko shouted. Moments later, the tiny Bee Fly Pokémon released a blinding light that struck the three Jangmo-o, knocking them back and forcing them to flee the scene. "Well done. Poipole…you didn't have to do that. You could've gotten hurt!"

" _Poipole was just trying to help, it seems_ ," Rotomdex explained. " _Like you said, it's never battled before_."

The talking pokédex had a point, Niko realized. "You're right. Sorry, Poipole. I should be thanking you."

Poipole nodded, pride clearly etched on its face. Niko returned Ribombee and approached the pedestal. As he did so, he heard a rumbling. Before anything happened, Niko peered into the glass case on the top of the pedestal, noticing a purple Z-crystal.

"Dragon type…?" Niko asked as the ceiling seeming to cave in nearby. He turned around to see a massive Pokémon standing in front of him, gazing angrily as Niko, who stood between it and the Z-crystal.

Most of its body was gray with some lighter gray areas as well as yellow and red markings. It had a rounded, beak-like snout and small eyes nearly hidden under its head armor. On the tip of its snout was a patch of pale gray, and both the upper and lower jaws have a small, tooth-like spike on each side. The top of its head was covered by an elaborate arrangement of scales. At the front of the headdress was an oval scale, which was yellow with a red heart-shape at the base. On either side of the front scale was a chain of four circular scales; the first three scales are red with yellow trim and the last scale is solid yellow. Running down the front of its long neck is a line of overlapping scales. Covering its shoulders are tufts of spiky, white feathers with small, gray scales overlapping them. Four overlapping scales cover the tops of its arms: three are gray with yellow edges, and the scales that cover its hands are red with yellow edges.

"What…is _that_?" Niko asked, marveling at the enormous creature in front of him. He deduced that it must be related to Jangmo-o.

" _That's Kommo-o, the Scaly Pokémon. It's a dragon and fighting type. When it howls after finishing off its prey, the metallic sounds of its celebrating comrades can be heard from all around_ ," Rotomdex declared.

It quickly revealed itself to be the Totem Pokémon, as a bright orange aura erupted around it. Niko whipped out a pokéball. Dragon and fighting type necessitated a fairy type. "Ribombee, I choose you!" he shouted. "Use dazzling gleam!"

While Ribombee was fast and managed to successfully blind the Kommo-o (temporarily) with the attack, Niko was surprised at how fast the Totem Pokémon was. It slammed a purple-coated fist into Ribombee, covering his entire body in what looked like poison. After watching its opponent collapse onto the ground, weakened by the poison jab, Kommo-o also took a quick breath, clearly already exhausted by the dazzling gleam. Kommo-o then lit up its fist with electricity and slammed it into the ground where Ribombee was—or should have been. The Bee Fly Pokémon fluttered above the Totem, summoning a pollen puff on Niko's command and thrusting it at Kommo-o, who blocked the attack with thunderpunch.

"Ribombee, dazzling gleam!" Niko shouted. Ribombee was about to summon more light energy but cringed momentarily from the poison's effect on him. This was just enough time for the Totem Pokémon to strike, stabbing Ribombee with its poison-coated fist and thrusting the Bee Fly Pokémon into the wall of the cave. Ribombee collapsed onto the ground in defeat.

"Geez…return, Ribombee," Niko said. "Vaporeon, you're up!" he shouted, summoning the Bubble Jet Pokémon. "Use water pulse!"

Vaporeon summoned a pulsating blue orb of water and fired it at the massive Kommo-o, who quickly blocked it with what looked like dragon claw before charging towards its new opponent. Vaporeon then, on Niko's command, fired off an ice beam that struck Kommo-o, knocking it backwards and nearly onto its back.

"Now, water pulse again!" Niko shouted. Vaporeon conjured a second water pulse that Kommo-o hit with its tail, hardly doing any damage to it. It then bounded towards Vaporeon once more, clearly angry now. "Again!" Niko commanded for a third time. Now, however, Kommo-o's fist lit up with electricity. It slammed it down onto the water pulse as Vaporeon was about to fire it, creating a massive explosion that rocketed Vaporeon past the pedestal and nearly out of the cave.

Niko was shocked. While it was clear he was doing damage to the Totem Pokémon, he was also running out of Pokémon he could use effectively. Now, he had one Pokémon that could stand up to Kommo-o and do substantial damage to it, at least enough to defeat it.

"Drampa, you're up!" Niko shouted. _Hopefully I made the right choice here_. "This is Totem Kommo-o—your opponent. It's a dragon, just like you. Now, let's show it how dragons really fight! Use dragonbreath!"

Drampa opened his mouth and fired off purple and orange flames, engulfing the Kommo-o before it ripped the flames away with dragon claw. Kommo-o then charged at Drampa to use the same attack, slashing at the Placid Pokémon's rough white fur.

This set him off.

Drampa roared out, both in anger and in pain, as he extended his neck high up in the air. Niko had never before seen the friendly old Pokémon so angry. A transparent purple aura surrounded Drampa as he released a powerful burst of energy, striking Totem Kommo-o and knocking it across the cavern, crashing into a nearby wall. Drampa then charged, still angrily, at the Totem and slammed his tail into Kommo-o, decisively finishing it off.

"Drampa, wow!" Niko said, astounded as the exertion of power by the normally friendly Pokémon. He ran towards Drampa, who was calming down, and hugged him. "Well done, you cleared the trial! With the help of Ribombee and Vaporeon, of course. But you all did it, and that's what teamwork is all about."

Poipole watched from near the pedestal, grinning happily as well. It then turned to look at the Z-crystal sitting in the glass case, as if feeling drawn to it.

Niko watched as Totem Kommo-o got back up and guided Niko to the Z-crystal. Niko guessed that it was properly called Dragonium-Z and opened the case to take the crystal. He turned to Kommo-o, who seemed more friendly now.

"Thank you for the battle, Totem Kommo-o," Niko said, bowing to the dragon. "But my girlfriend also wants to take on this challenge. Will that be possible?" Kommo-o nodded before pointing to the exit ahead. Niko quickly realized that he needed to proceed on, presumably so he couldn't help Charlotte with the trial. He turned to Rotomdex. "Can you go tell Charlotte that she is clear to come in, and that I'll be on the other side?"

The pokédex nodded and floated away. Totem Kommo-o then left the cavern as well, supposedly to prepare for its next battle. Niko looked at Drampa and Poipole, returned the former to his pokéball, and continued on.

When he left the Totem's Den, he looked up in awe as he witnessed the Altar of the Moone for the first time.

* * *

"Let's go, Warren," Charlotte said, looking up at her friend.

"Oh, right! I forgot I get to watch this one," Warren said as he followed. Recently, he hadn't gotten a chance to see Niko and Charlotte's trials, and now he had a rare opportunity to see one up close. So he followed Charlotte and Rotomdex into the cavern.

Slowly, they made their way into the cavern, aided by the dim light seeping through the ceiling. Within minutes of entering, Charlotte noticed a pedestal in the back—the same one that Niko had noticed earlier. Squinting, she saw a small crystalline object inside of a glass case.

"The Z-crystal…it can't be that easy, right?" she said, walking towards it. As she did, she heard something crash into the ground behind her. Turning around, she saw a short, bipedal creature standing and glaring at her. "What's that?"

It was similar to Jangmo-o and Kommo-o. Its scaly body was light gray with dark gray arms and legs. It had many yellow and red markings, angular red eyes, a rounded beak-like snout and two small scales standing up on either side of its head. Down the center of its chest is a line of three slightly raised scales with a matching line of four scales down its back. Several slightly raised gray scales overlapped its shoulders.

" _That's a Hakamo-o, the Scaly Pokémon. It's a dragon and fighting type. The scales it sheds can be molded and processed to make pots and pans. They conduct heat well, so they're a popular item._ "

"Dragon and fighting, eh?" Charlotte said, withdrawing a pokéball. "Noivern, you're up! Use air slash!"

The Sound Wave Pokémon shot into the air before summoning long, light blue wing blades and firing them at Hakamo-o, who leapt backwards to dodge the attack. It then started shining a light gray color before swiftly leaping into the air and slamming a fist upwards into Noivern's chin, knocking her backwards and towards the ground.

"Noivern!" Charlotte commanded. "Use screech!" In response, Hakamo-o raised its arms to block the sound waves. Charlotte noticed its scales clanging in reaction to the sound. "No effect…dammit! Noivern! Acrobatics!"

Noivern successfully landed on her feet before getting back into the air and shifting around in the space between her and Hakamo-o before slamming her left wing into the Scaly Pokémon's chest, dragging it along and throwing it into a wall that looked like it was already beaten up. Then, unexpectedly, Noivern lifted her head up and glared at Hakamo-o before unleashing a powerful blast of purple energy, easily defeating the smaller Pokémon.

"That was dragon pulse, Charlotte!" Warren exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah, it was. Well done, Noivern!" she said, petting the Sound Wave Pokémon's head before turning to the pedestal. "That wasn't the Totem Pokémon, unfortunately. Come on, let's see if we can take the Z-crystal anyways. Maybe we might need it for the Totem fight."

Charlotte approached the pedestal, with Noivern, Warren, and Rotomdex all behind her. As she was about to touch the glass, she heard a rumbling from above. Looking directly upwards, she already saw a hole in the ceiling just as another hole was made right in front of it. In its place a massive Pokémon crashed onto the ground, leering down at her. Warren and Rotomdex moved out of the way as Charlotte and Noivern prepared for battle.

"Rotomdex…what is that?" Charlotte asked as Rotomdex explained to her what it did to Niko. "Kommo-o…got it. Noivern, use dragon pulse!"

Noivern prepared to fire the burst of draconic energy when Kommo-o, with surprising speed, lunged forward and slashed at Noivern with dragon claw, knocking her backwards. Noivern, in response, leapt into the air to perform acrobatics before crashing into the Totem Pokémon, who grabbed Noivern's wings and held her in place with incredible strength before thrusting her into the ground and landing a thunderpunch on the top of her head.

"Noivern! Return!" Charlotte shouted, whipping out a pokéball and returning her dragon type. "Lapras, you're up! Use ice beam!"

The Transport Pokémon shot out of the pokéball and immediately released an ice beam, striking Kommo-o unexpectedly. The Totem Pokémon was brought to a knee in what briefly shook the ground underneath them. However, Kommo-o wasn't finished quite yet. It got back up, albeit slowly, and charged at Lapras, claws bursting with a brown-orange swirling energy. It struck at Lapras, who wailed out before using ice beam a second time, spraying ice energy all over the Totem Pokémon and slowing it down. Kommo-o then struck at Lapras in the neck with thunderpunch.

"Ice beam—huh?" Charlotte asked as Lapras had difficulty moving. "Dammit! Return," she said, not willing to have Lapras continue fighting. She was already immobile enough on land, being paralyzed didn't make things easier for them. "Flaaffy, you're up!"

"Flaaffy?" Warren asked aloud, slightly confused. "Alright then. I guess this'll work," he said, trying to rationalize the move in his head.

"Electro ball!" Charlotte commanded. Flaaffy conjured an orb of pure electricity and fired it at Kommo-o, who used drain punch to block it. "Now, cotton spore!" The Wool Pokémon emitted small pink balls of cotton from his neck and sent them floating towards the Totem Pokémon, who seemed to slow down, albeit only slightly. "Now, power gem!"

Flaaffy fired off small pink gems from around him. Kommo-o used dragon claw to destroy them on contact before finally charging forward to attack Flaaffy. Charlotte commanded he used electro ball, which managed to successfully hit Kommo-o and slow it down enough for Flaaffy to release a thunderwave and ultimately stop the Totem from moving entirely.

"Flaaffy, attack with electro ball again!" Charlotte shouted. Flaaffy took a moment to breathe before whipping up a third electro ball and throwing it at Kommo-o, who winced from the now-constant barrage of electrical attacks. Ultimately, Flaaffy collapsed, face-forward, from the excessive usage of electric attacks.

Charlotte ran over to Flaaffy, getting down on her knees to see the exhausted Wool Pokémon's face. She didn't know what to do—Flaaffy had ever shown this sort of weakness.

"C-can you hear me?" Charlotte asked as Totem Kommo-o began to move again. Flaaffy nodded, opening his eyes to see Kommo-o bring down its claw onto them. Flaaffy leapt forward and grabbed the claw, sending electricity through and into Kommo-o. He then began to shine a bright white color before growing slightly.

Flaaffy's skin turned from pink to bright yellow. He now had conical years with black stripes on them and a red orb on his forehead. His long neck had several black rings around it near the base. His stubby arms resembled flippers. He gained a long, black-striped tail with a red orb at the tip that was shining brightly.

" _That's an Ampharos, Charlotte!_ " Rotomdex said excitedly as Ampharos, now only half of Kommo-o's height, stepped back and charged up a now electrified fist, slamming it into Kommo-o's chest, knocking the Totem Pokémon backwards. " _It's an electric type and is known as the Light Pokémon! It's tail shines bright and strong. It has been prized since long ago as a beacon for sailors_."

"Ampharos, let's finish this!" Charlotte said, standing back up and thrusting a fist into the air. "Use thunder punch!"

Kommo-o blocked the second punch with its own thunderpunch. Ampharos and Charlotte expected this, and the Light Pokémon responded by summoning a power gem, striking Kommo-o in the chest. The Totem Pokémon fell to a single knee, wincing as Ampharos, unexpectedly, prepared a final move.

The Light Pokémon began to glow a transparent purple color, just as Drampa and Noivern had earlier. He then fired a dragon pulse at Kommo-o, forcing the Scaly Pokémon backwards, past the pedestal and towards the exit, where it collapsed on its back in defeat.

Charlotte looked in awe at Ampharos, who was only a few inches shorter than she was. Excited, she ran over to hug the Light Pokémon. "I'm so proud of you, Ampharos! You did it! We won the trial!"

Ampharos nodded, watching Totem Kommo-o stand back up and approach them. Now, it had a smirk on its face as it motioned towards the pedestal with the Z-crystal inside the glass case. Charlotte opened it and took the Dragonium-Z out.

"Thank you, Totem Kommo-o," she said, with Warren and Rotomdex approaching her on each side. "I appreciated the opportunity to battle you."

Kommo-o nodded, now motioning towards the exit. Charlotte, Ampharos, Warren, and Rotomdex ran out of the exit. The first thing they saw were Niko and Poipole, sitting near a tree. However, they paled in comparison to what else lay in front of them.

The Altar of the Moone.

* * *

 **Author's note: Episode went on longer than I thought it would...really tried to get some Niko/Poipole interactions in. Also,** **a close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on , the sister site to . If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	43. Into the wormhole

**Episode 43: Into the Wormhole**

The trio—plus Rotomdex and Poipole—looked up in awe at the Altar of the Moone. From their vantage point on the edge of Vast Poni Canyon, they could see a set of stone stairs that ran up for what looked like half a mile or more. Under the stairway was a deep canyon that seemed to go on for miles. At the top Niko could sort of see a platform, but he had to strain himself to do so. However, they could see a tall, thin mountain with a large stone pillar. In the middle of the pillar was a circular shape with a symbol that looked akin to a moon in the center.

"Howdy!" the trio turned to see Hapu standing there with her Mudsdale. The horse whinnied excitedly. "You three ready?"

"Yeah…you got here just in time," Niko said, now skeptical of this entire mission.

"That was mere coincidence," Hapu replied, as if she could accurately read Niko's facial expressions. "Now, let's open that wormhole!"

"How do you do that, by the way?" Charlotte asked.

"You're asking two questions there, Charlotte," Hapu replied, "how can I, and _why_ am I?" Charlotte nodded, surprised at the Kahuna's ability to read her as well. "I can with this new device the Aether Foundation created. It uses the unique energy from an Ultra Beast to open the wormhole. Years ago, when Alola went through a series of crises involving Ultra Beasts, we had to rely on Solgaleo and Lunala to help us. Due to advancements in technology, this is no longer the case," Hapu held up a large tablet with several buttons on the bottom third. "As to the second question, as I am Island Kahuna, the Altar of the Moone is my responsibility, just as the Altar of the Sunne is for Nanu."

Niko nodded. "So, we'll be using Poipole's energy, then?" Niko asked.

Hapu nodded. "Indeed, we will. Poipole, are you ready for that?"

The Poison Pin Pokémon turned to Niko, of all people, with a slight look of concern. Niko nodded to him. "If you want to go home, then this is what we need to do."

Poipole nodded.

"Excellent! Then let's go!" she said, leading the trio up the stone stairway towards the top.

By the time they got to the top platform, after climbing another set of stairs, Niko managed to get a clearer picture of the area around him. Two pedestals bearing the same moon symbol as the pillar did stood on each side. In between the pedestals was a third staircase that led to a center area with a rhombus-shaped platform with a moon symbol on it. On the left and right of the platform are two small islands with water surrounding them. The water surrounding the islands flows from a small stream that connects to two spires that lead to the pillar.

"Okay," Hapu said, "according to what the Aether Foundation told me, all we need is this device and Poipole. Just in case, though, I have a back-up plan that will involve two of you," she turned to the Ultra Beast. "Ready? Stand in the center of the platform.

Poipole nodded, floating to the center of the moon symbol. Hapu then turned on the device and began pressing a series of buttons on it that triggered a ray of energy to strike Poipole. The little creature wailed out, clearly not enjoying this new sensation.

"Poipole!" Niko shouted. Suddenly, the Ultra Beast collapsed onto the ground. He ran over to grab it. "You alright?"

Poipole didn't respond, but it was breathing.

"Guess we're going to plan B," Hapu said, reaching into her bag and pulling out two flutes. "These are the Sun and Moon Flutes. When played in harmony, they will summon the legendary Pokémon, Solgaleo and Lunala. Niko, Charlotte, and Warren all looked at the flutes. One of them was orange-gold with a shining sun symbol, like the one Niko saw at the Lake of the Sunne, where he caught Drampa. The other was silvery-blue and had the moon symbol on it. "I need two of you to play these flutes."

"I'll do it," Niko said, taking the Sun Flute. "I've never played a musical instrument before. Will that make a difference?"

"Not at all," Hapu said.

Charlotte then took the Moon Flute. "I think it makes sense for Island Challengers to do this."

Warren shrugged. "That's just fine with me!" he said with a smile.

Hapu then instructed Niko and Charlotte to each step onto one of the small islands. They did—Niko on the left, Charlotte on the right—and began to play. The water around them began to glow and flow up towards and pillar and then vertically up the pillar and around the giant moon symbol. The center opened to reveal a gate of sorts. Rocketing out of it was a massive, bat-like Pokémon.

It had a short snout, dark pink eyes with white centers, and a deep blue area on its upper head that showed a starscape. A rigid, raised hood wraps around its head in a crescent shape and drapes around its neck as well. The outside of the hood is yellow, while the inner part that curves around Lunala's head is a pattern of deep blue and white streaks. Its torso resembled a ribcage with a slightly curved spike on each shoulder and three spikes extending from the bottom toward its tail. Its massive wings resembled a bat's wings with the skeleton exposed. Its skin was an iridescent deep blue, and it was glowing a light blue color just below its ribcage. A large, pale yellow crescent connected the outermost tip of each wing to the next two inner tips. The bottom of its tail was also lined by a yellow crescent, with a ridge running up the middle of the tail towards the ribcage.

" _Bzzzt, that's Lunala!_ " Rotomdex exclaimed, whirring around the Legendary Pokémon. " _It's the Moone Pokémon and is psychic and ghost type! Records of it exist in writings from long ago, where it was known by the name 'the beast that calls the moon.' It sometimes summons unknown powers and life-forms here to this world from holes that lead to other worlds._ "

"Lunala!" Hapu shouted up to the Legendary Pokémon—not something Niko ever thought was right to do. "We need to take this Poipole back to its home in Ultra Megalopolis. These three young trainers will be accompanying it. Will you take them on behalf of the Kahunas and Champion Hau?"

Lunala gazed down at Hapu for a moment before nodding. It then lowered itself to allow for the trio and Poipole to get onto its back. When they realized there wasn't enough room, Niko got off—holding Poipole—and Lunala held him in its wings. They then rose high into the air as a light blue portal opened up in front of them. It was crackling and sparkling with what looked like electricity. Niko looked up and saw Charlotte above him, gripping onto Lunala's neck like her life depended on it.

"Scared, Charlotte?" Niko asked. His girlfriend nodded. "Don't be. We're going to be just fine."

Charlotte looked down at Niko. Their eyes locked for a moment, and she smiled slightly.

Lunala then charged into the portal, and Niko felt like he was being stretched and torn apart for a moment before everything felt normal again.

* * *

Ultra Space was fascinating. It looked very much like the wormhole, only in a tubular shape. They looked around as portals opened to their left and right. Through them, Niko noticed jungles, deserts, forests, even ruins of cities. He had never seen anything like it and would likely never see anything like it ever again.

He looked down at Poipole, who was still unconscious. What Hapu did to it was unnecessary, and Niko wanted to complain to her and to the Aether Foundation, but he felt like he didn't have enough information to make an informed argument. Niko then looked up at Charlotte and Warren, the latter of whom was enjoying himself. Charlotte, on the other hand, seemed nervous about it but gradually got used to flying through Ultra Space at what seemed to be an unnaturally high speed.

Eventually, Lunala took a slight turn to the right, just as a dark portal opened. They went through it and, after a few seconds, appeared on the other side.

The world they entered was dark. No, maybe not dark, but certainly dimly lit. There was no such thing as a sun, and it appeared as if the entire city was powered by a single tower in the center.

"Sort of looks like a darker version of Lumiose City…" Warren muttered as Lunala descended onto the nearest street, attracting an inordinate amount of attention. The trio got off the Legendary Pokémon before Warren asked "Is Lunala going to wait for us?"

They all turned to the Moone Pokémon, who simply nodded. What on Earth did they do to deserve such wonderful service from such a powerful Pokémon?

Niko looked around at the darkened streets. Surrounding them on both sides of the street were identical high-rise buildings with pyramidal-shaped rooftops. All of them led to the center of the city—the large pillar of light with a circular top with lights rotating along it, bathing the city nearby in a gleaming white glow.

 _What an odd place…this is your home, Poipole?_ Niko asked, looking down at the Poison Pin Pokémon. As soon as he looked back up he noticed four individuals walking towards them. They were dressed in white and lavender jumpsuits and wore futuristic goggles and helmets. Two of them looked like men, and the other two like women. The one in front had a handlebar mustache and a short, thin beard. When they approached the trio, they moved their arms in a mechanical motion that looked like the traditional Alolan greeting.

"Alola! I am Captain Phyco, head of the Ultra Reconnaissance Squad. Here with me are Dulse, Zossie, and Soliera. Judging by the presence of Lunala, as well as your clothing, I assume you're from Alola?"

"Are you the people Hau sent?" the short one—Zossie—asked with a snarky tone.

"Yes," Niko held out Poipole. "We were sent to deliver Poipole to its home in Ultra Megalopolis."

Phyco examine Poipole before looking at Niko with a concerned expression. "Why is it unconscious?"

"Well…we tried to use it to open a wormhole," Charlotte admitted, even though they played no role in that.

"Damn it all! Those idiots don't know the first thing about the Poipole species!" Dulse shouted angrily. "Or even Pokémon at all! Why would you use a young, inexperienced Pokémon to open a portal to another world? Honestly Phyco…why do we still do business with them?"

"Because," Phyco said, not taking his eyes off Poipole, "their world might be in danger and, if the threat is as strong as they think it is, then ours will be a risk of danger as well. Anyway, you three have done all that you were tasked with. We can take this Poipole off of your hands."

"Wait…" Niko began, "what do you mean our world is in danger?" there was no way that it was. Otherwise, Niko is confident that fate would've dragged him into it already.

Phyco looked at Niko with surprise. "Oh, they didn't tell you? The Kahunas and Alola League are worried about some global threat emerging. They told us to keep our eyes out for it, since opening Ultra Wormholes is far easier now than it used to be."

"What is this threat?" Niko asked, almost growling.

"We…don't know, unfortunately," the taller of the two women spoke out. "Just that, at its worst, could destroy entire planets. We needed to round up any and all Ultra Beasts from Alola, in case they might fall prey—or worse, become influenced in some way—by this evil. Poipole is one of them—the last known, wild Ultra Beast that we had on your planet. Also, I'm sure the Aether Foundation wished to test out their new technology, but apparently they forgot a critical component of it."

"Well explained, Soliera," Phyco said, reaching for Poipole. Niko resisted.

"Can I say bye to it?" Niko asked in a truly genuine tone. He had come to enjoy the Pokémon's company. Under normal conditions, he would capture it, but it didn't seem appropriate at the time.

"Ah, of course. That is certainly fine," Phyco said in an understanding tone. "Follow us. We can show you some of Ultra Megalopolis."

He then led the trio on a brief tour of the city. During that time Phyco learned more about the trio, and expressed his fascination with the Island Trials, as they had nothing equivalent to that in their world. After the casual conversation was finished, he moved on to explaining the city in more depth.

"All of the light in Ultra Megalopolis is artificial. We have no sun here, which makes life difficult. However, our scientists have figured out a way to replicate the sun while keeping it local. That's how we got Megalo Tower," he said, pointing to the glowing pillar. "It provides artificial light to replace the light that Necrozma took from us years ago. Once that crisis was dealt with, we kept the tower and its light and continued to live in relative darkness."

"Why is that?" Warren asked.

"Not sure. Maybe it's to prevent any creature from taking our natural light again?" Phyco suggested.

"Also…what's Necrozma? I've never heard of that," Niko asked.

" _Bzzzt…Necrozma is the Prism Pokémon and is a psychic type. It looks somehow pained as it rages around in search of light, which serves as its energy. It's apparently from another world. If it isn't devouring light, impurities build up in it and on it, and Necrozma darkens and stops moving_."

"Years ago, Necrozma stole our light, leaving the world in darkness. A collection of heroes managed to stop it and return the light, but as I said before it was more to do with defense than anything else."

Niko wondered why Ultra Megalopolis was so afraid of bringing back real light. Obviously, it was because of Phyco's reasoning, but he figured that there had to be something else behind it. Some other reason keeping them in the dark.

Eventually, they reached a building near the Megalo Tower. Phyco led them inside to reveal what looked like a Pokémon Center. A woman in futuristic white clothes and long pink hair stood at the front desk, resembling Nurse Joy. Niko gave her Poipole, and she looked directly at him with a grin.

"We'll take care of your Pokémon, no worries."

"Oh, it's not mine," Niko said, turning to the Ultra Recon Squad, "I guess it's theirs?"

"No, it's not," Dulse said, "but we have a home for it."

Niko nodded, walking over to a nearby couch and lounging in it. It had been a long day. First, the trial, then immediately afterwards jumping through a wormhole to a world thousands of light years away. It might not have seemed like much, but it was exhausting. He could tell Charlotte and Warren felt the same way, as the former lay on the couch immediately next to him, cozying up. Warren sat at the opposite end, taking a deep breath of relief.

Suddenly, a thought crossed Niko's mind. He looked at Charlotte and slowly moved from under her—as she was now half-asleep on his lap—and got up to approach the Ultra Recon Squad.

"Yes, Niko?" Captain Phyco asked with the utmost curiosity.

"Where is Poipole going?" Niko asked politely.

Phyco tilted his head slightly before responding. "We're taking it to an orphanage not far from here. Poipole will be then given to a trainer who sees fit to train it," he paused, "why do you ask?"

"Well…what if I took it?" Niko asked. Phyco looked at him with surprise. Dulse, Zossie, and Soliera all looked incredulous. "It's already travelled with me, I'd like to think I know a little more about it than most Alolans, and even whoever becomes its trainer in the future. If it's not possible for me to take it, I understand. I'm just offering to take it off of your hands."

Phyco looked to his colleagues, all of whom didn't know what to say. "It's been a while since a trainer from your planet raised a Poipole. Even then, they had parted ways for some time before reuniting. It is also true that this particular Poipole is a descendant of that one. It would make sense. Yes, you may take Poipole if it wishes to travel with you."

Niko smiled widely. "Thank you, Phyco," he said, reaching his hand out. Phyco hesitated before ultimately shaking Niko's hand as well. "I won't let you down."

"Well, if you managed to make it here, of all places, I cannot foresee a situation in which you do, in fact, let me down."

* * *

An hour later, The Ultra Megalopolis version of Nurse Joy brought Poipole back out on a stretcher. The Ultra Beast then floated around cheerfully, looking at all of the people now surrounding it. It first looked at Niko and his friends before turning to the Ultra Recon Squad.

"How're you feeling?" Niko and Captain Phyco asked. Poipole nodded, communicating that it was just fine. "That's good," Niko added with a smile. He then twiddled his thumbs for a moment before looking back at Poipole. For whatever reason, he was nervous. "Hey, Poipole…"

The Poison Pin Pokémon looked at Niko curiously as he approached. The two locked eyes for a moment—Niko's blue with Poipole's cyan.

"We brought you back here so you could go to an orphanage where a trainer might one day take you. However, with Captain Phyco's permission, I'd like to capture you myself so you could travel with us. Does that sound like something you'd want to do?"

Poipole looked at Niko curiously before eventually nodding, albeit shyly. Niko then reached into his bag for an ordinary pokéball when Phyco held out his hand. In it was a blue pokéball with a pattern that resembled the Ultra Wormholes. Four curved yellow bands wrapped around it in a diagonal fashion, all coalescing around the center button that opens the ball. "It's a Beast Ball. Your people created them to easily capture 'Ultra Beasts.' Capture Poipole in this."

Niko took it and held it out in front of Poipole, who slowly moved towards it, pressed the button, and went inside. It wiggled around in Niko's hand before ultimately clicking, signaling a successful capture.

"Yay!" Warren shouted. "You got an Ultra Beast!"

"I did…" Niko said. "I got an Ultra Beast."

"Now," Phyco said, ending the brief celebration. "We must take you all back to Lunala so you can travel to your world."

Niko nodded, turning to Charlotte and Warren as well. They nodded, and the trio walked with Rotomdex out of the Pokémon Center to see Lunala waiting for them nearby. The Legendary Pokémon then conjured a wormhole and picked them up, all three of them in its arms. With a quick jump Lunala disappeared into the wormhole, leaving the Ultra Recon Squad alone in the street.

"Why did you let that boy take Poipole?" Dulse asked Captain Phyco.

"Because Poipole clearly trusted him. And…I have a feeling that this particular trainer is a powerful one."

"Like the one before him?"

Phyco nodded. "Like the one before him."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey y'all, a close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on , the sister site to . If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	44. Fairy girl

**Episode 44: Fairy girl**

The trio made it back to Seafolk Village in one piece. After exiting the Ultra Wormhole, they found Hapu sitting near the longest staircase at the bottom of the platform, reading some book with Mudsdale at her side. Afterwards, the four of them travelled on the two Mudsdales—Charlotte's and Hapu's—to make it back to Seafolk Village by late in the evening. There, the trio rested in the Pokémon Center, with Niko and Charlotte thinking about their last trial in Alola. Afterwards, they would compete in their final Grand Trial that would decide whether or not they could compete in the upcoming Alola League.

"Hey, Niko," Charlotte said as they lay in bed together. Niko had just finished reading a book and was about to fall asleep when his girlfriend started the conversation.

"What's up?"

"I feel like our trip in Alola went by so fast…" she said, looking up at the ceiling. Across from them Warren was fast asleep. "Don't you think?"

Niko nodded. "Yeah, it really did. A lot has happened, too. Like, remember when we had that fight back on Melemele Island?"

Charlotte laughed aloud, "Right! I completely forgot about that…oh, Niko," she turned to face him, her hazel eyes glimmering. "This has been a lot of fun. I feel like I'm a stronger trainer now."

"That's because you are," Niko said, looking directly at her. "There's no doubt about that. You've done better than I have in some battles, too!"

Charlotte nodded. "I'm still not at your level, though."

"You're closer than you think," Niko said. "If you went back in time to battle me right after the Silver Conference, I would've lost to you _so_ easily!" he smirked—this was true, without a doubt.

"I think you'd put up a fight," Charlotte teased, rubbing his arm. "You always do."

"Not always, but otherwise yeah. You're right," Niko corrected her. "What do you think Mina's trial will be about?"

"Well, we can probably narrow down the types again. There's only steel, ice, psychic, and fairy…I think? I'm not counting bug and flying, since we have those Z-crystals anyways."

"I'd bet either psychic or fairy," Niko said confidently. "Mina doesn't seem like the type to use ice or steel. This isn't the climate for an ice type trial, and nothing about her personality screams steel type. These Trial Captains reflect their type. Kiawe, for example, literally has hair that looked like fire."

Charlotte nodded. "I think you're right. Psychic or fairy makes a lot of sense. It'll be interesting to see what the Totem is, too," Niko agreed, and soon enough the two had fallen asleep.

* * *

"This trial will be conducted in three parts," Mina said in a relaxed, somewhat apathetic tone. "Since there are two of you, I'm adjusting how I do the trial. The first part will be a battle against me. Now, normally I do a one-on-one battle, but we could conduct a double battle if you two would like. You'd only fail if your Pokémon faints during battle."

Niko and Charlotte, standing in the living room of Mina's boathouse the following morning, looked at one another. They hadn't participated in the same trial together. "What do you think?" Niko asked.

"I'm fine with anything. You?" Charlotte asked, not exactly helping, which made Niko laugh.

"Same here!" he said. In response, Warren slapped his face. "Fine. Let's give it a shot! If one of us fails, we can just do the single battle."

Charlotte nodded. She said she didn't care, but that was only to get Niko's thoughts on this idea. She didn't want to give her opinion without hearing his first, and indecision was the best way to go, she thought, as she was worried he'd say yes if she did first. In reality, she wanted to battle with him. Not because his Pokémon were powerful, but also because she rarely got the chance to battle alongside him. She only hoped that he felt the same way.

Mina nodded, pulling out two pokéballs, which surprised the couple. "We'll battle in here. The Totem battle will also occur here."

Niko and Charlotte nodded, each withdrawing a pokéball of their own. Mina then began, throwing her choices out onto the field. They were two Pokémon Niko recognized—Mawile and Granbull.

"Incineroar, I choose you!" Niko shouted, summoning the Heel Pokémon—much to Charlotte's surprise.

"Wait…he's a dark type, though," Charlotte replied in shock. When Niko nodded, he seemed so certain of himself. "Alright. Let's do this, then. Salazzle, I choose you!"

"Against these two, Incineroar is the best bet. Poipole would be otherwise, but it isn't battle-ready," Niko explained, easing Charlotte's feelings, "I know you're worried—don't be. Incineroar, use flamethrower on Mawile!"

"Salazzle, Toxic on Granbull!" Charlotte commanded.

"Granbull, block the flamethrower with stone edge!" Mina commanded, suddenly firing up with a strange passion that the couple hadn't seen before. "Mawile, leap over your partner and use iron head on Salazzle!"

Incineroar released a jet of fire from his belt that was shielded by pointed stones conjured from the ground and thrown at him. The Heel Pokémon rolled to the side, with the stones nearly striking Salazzle, who was too busy conjuring a oozing purple circle underneath their shared opponent. After she successfully poisoned Granbull, she felt something ram into her, hitting her in the head and knocking her backwards. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon stumbled before collecting herself. As she did so the fly trap on Mawile's head swung around and slapped her across the face, knocking Salazzle to the ground. She shot a glare at her opponent, hissing as she did so.

"Toxic on Mawile!" Charlotte commanded, taking full advantage of Salazzle's ability—in all honesty one of the reasons she caught the poison type in the first place. Salazzle quickly created another wide circle, oozing with poison at the base, in an attempt to poison Mawile, who leapt out of the way before the poison burst upwards in failure. "Now flame burst!"

"Incineroar, darkest lariat on Granbull!" Niko commanded, much to Charlotte's surprise. She turned to him with confusion.

 _What're you doing, Niko?_ She thought to herself. In response, Granbull used earthquake, knocking both of their Pokémon to the ground. "Niko!"

"What?" Niko asked, confused.

"That hurt both of our Pokémon!" she shouted, throwing out her hand to motion towards Salazzle and Incineroar, both slowly getting up off of the wooden floors, now ripped up. "You have to think!"

"Sorry…" Niko said, shaking his head. "I just forgot I'm not battling by myself."

"Both of you, play rough!" Mina commanded. Mawile and Granbull both charged at Incineroar, who had just gotten back up. The two then commenced beating on the Heel Pokémon, thrusting kicks, punches, and fly-trap like heads at him, knocking him to his knees.

"Salazzle, venoshock on Granbull!" she shouted. The Toxic Lizard then leapt through the air, somersaulting after spraying poisonous liquid all across the top of the fairy type's head. She then landed facing the other three Pokémon. "And flame burst on Mawile!" Salazzle obeyed, hitting Mawile to the side with a small fireball that exploded on contact. Charlotte then shot a glare at Niko.

"Thank you," he said calmly, although he was nervous. He wasn't being of much help to Charlotte. In the back of his mind he heard a quiet voice telling him to give up. Forfeit, let Charlotte take the victory, and battle Mina himself.

No. He wouldn't forfeit. He didn't. Not around Charlotte. Not after he had met her. That's not who he was anymore.

"Incineroar," Niko said calmly as Mina's Pokémon slowly got back up from the beating they got from Salazzle. "Let's go. Charlotte, follow my lead."

Charlotte, now confused, looked up at Niko. He looked confident. Like he did in every battle that he eventually won. Like he did when he and Incineroar faced down Melinda's Primarina. Then, they had a disadvantage. Now, they didn't. She nodded to Salazzle.

"Incineroar, wait for it, and then use flamethrower," Niko said. He noticed something about the two poisoned Pokémon—the poison struck them at timed intervals. He waited, as did Charlotte. However, Mina did not.

"Play rough again!"

"Dodge Granbull and double kick Mawile," Niko said calmly. Incineroar nodded, sliding to the left to evade the Fairy Pokémon before leaping into the air and spinning, his left leg extended out. The Heel Pokémon slammed it into Mawile's small head, ramming it into the side of the boathouse, which briefly shook from the force of the attack. As they fell, Niko noticed it happen again—they briefly turned a transparent purple color. "Notice it, Charlotte?" he whispered.

Charlotte made a small "o" with her mouth as she realized what Niko was getting at.

"Granbull, stone edge!" Mina commanded. Incineroar responded by using double kick to knock the stones away, shattering them into smaller pieces. "Earthquake!"

"Salazzle, venom drench!" Charlotte commanded. Just then, Mawile leapt forward to use iron head, to which Incineroar rolled out of the way, causing it to crash into the floor. "Now, wait on Incineroar!" she commanded.

Niko waited. Just a little bit longer. "Now! Incineroar, use flamethrower on Granbull!" he shouted. Incineroar fired a stream of flames from his waist, hitting Granbull just as the poison afflicted it again. Granbull roared out in pain before falling to the ground in defeat.

"Mawile, use play rough!" Mina commanded with more fury this time. The Deceiver Pokémon charged at Incineroar, who stood completely still this time.

"Fire fang!" Niko commanded. The Heel Pokémon planted his feet into the ground in anticipation. Just then Mawile leapt through the air and attempted to strike Incineroar with its glowing gray head. Incineroar grabbed the attack in midair and, with fiery fangs baring wide, clamped down on Mawile's fly-trap like head. "Now, Charlotte!"

"Salazzle!" Charlotte shouted, "Venom drench!"

Salazzle then opened her small mouth and sprayed purple liquid from several feet away, drenching both Incineroar and Mawile. However, the Heel Pokémon wasn't in the way of the attack, and only took minimal damage from the poison. Mawile, however, was finished.

"Flamethrower!" Niko commanded. Incineroar let got and rocketed his opponent across the room with a jet of flames, knocking Mawile into the wall opposite the one it crashed into earlier.

Mina returned her second Pokémon, impressed. "Well done, both of you. You've both completed the first part of my trial. Now, for the second. To attract the Totem Pokémon, you will need to construct the Rainbow Flower. There are seven petals to the flower. Six of which can be found either in Seafolk Village or Poni Wilds. It is your job to bring me six of them."

"Why only six?" Charlotte asked. Mina smirked at the question before pulling out two pink petals from her bag.

"Because you'll have these," she said, holding them out. Niko and Charlotte each took one. "Now, whoever brings me the Rainbow Flower first will get to challenge the Totem Pokémon. Whoever shows up second will battle the Totem, well, second. Make sense?"

"Any hints on where these petals might be?" Niko asked.

"I told you the boundaries. I don't want challengers to have to travel too far to find these, so I only hid them in places that are within an hour's walk of here. If you aren't back by sunset then you can temporarily pause the trial until the morning, when you may resume."

The couple nodded before running off, leaving Warren, Rotomdex, and Mina in the boathouse.

* * *

 _Six petals…_ Charlotte said, looking around Seafolk Village. Niko had already broken into a full spring—in sandals—to search Poni Wilds for his petals, leaving his girlfriend to scour the floating port village for hers. _And they're colors of the rainbow. And there are seven of them…_ she began to deduce what some of the colors would look like, running through ordinary rainbow colors. _But pink isn't in the rainbow. Violet would be the closest to it. So red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and indigo or purple._

She struggled to think of where some of them could be. Were they themed, such as by type? Meaning, did the blue petal have anything to do with water?

"Lapras, I choose you!" Charlotte shouted, summoning the Transport Pokémon and jumping on. "We're looking for a blue petal. It might be somewhere in the water, and I need your help looking for it."

Lapras nodded, swiftly moving through the water around the port village while Charlotte squinted around the wooden planks. Eventually, she noticed something lodged within a crevice on the side of the Wailord boathouse. Directing her Pokémon there, she saw two small, blue petals sitting there. Taking one, she and Lapras moved on. Two down, five to go.

As she ran through Seafolk Village she summoned Decidueye quickly. The ghost type wouldn't have issues finding things—after all, vision and focus were his strong suits. Plus, an aerial perspective didn't hurt. She sent her Pokémon off towards Poni Wilds while she quickly ran into the Pokémon Center, believing that one might be in there. After several minutes of searching, careful to not overturn much, she found an Orange Petal sitting underneath the cushion of a chair.

Now off to Poni Wilds. She had likely found all of them in the village. Just to be sure, she summoned Salazzle to sniff out some while she was gone.

* * *

Meanwhile, Niko ran into Poni Wilds. On his way he had reasoned that the petals were part of the rainbow but didn't understand where the pink one would fit. He sent out his entire team to help him figure this out. Ribombee, being the smallest, managed to cover the most ground, eventually finding a green petal hidden in the grass. He used both hands to hoist the petal up, proudly handing it to his trainer.

"Thanks, buddy," Niko said before looking around. Drampa was searching in a tree with Toucannon, and Poipole was off looking near the beach. Finding nothing, Niko then sent Vaporeon back to Seafolk Village to search for what he thought might be the blue petal. Just as he did so, he noticed Decidueye flying above him, which meant Charlotte wasn't far behind. As soon as he saw his girlfriend in the distance, Incineroar and Poipole found a yellow petal in the sandy beach nearby a wayward surf shop. "Yes! Two now!" he said, quickly returning the two Pokémon so as to not reveal the location of the Yellow Petal to Charlotte, who was now easily within range of sight. He then sprinted off to find Vaporeon, his other Pokémon following behind him.

By the time he reached Seafolk Village the Bubble Jet Pokémon was running past the Pokémon Center with a Blue Petal in her mouth. Niko thanked her and took it to count them. Pink, green, yellow, and blue. He needed three more. Looking around, he started into the Pokémon Center. It was important enough that Mina might have considered hiding one there. The visitors to the center—the few of them, that is—were shocked to see a nearly full team of Pokémon rush into the Pokémon Center. They were even more surprised to see them overturn tables and chairs, clearly in search of something. That's when Nurse Joy calmly explained the trial to them, and they seemed to quietly understand.

After several minutes, Niko found the Orange Petal. However, there was only one. There had been two Green Petals when Ribombee found them, and two Yellow Petals when Incineroar and Poipole found them.

"Vaporeon, how many Blue Petals were there?" Niko asked, suddenly catching on. The water type shook her head. "None?" she subsequently nodded. "Dammit. She's probably not far behind. Or even might be ahead. We have two left—we can do this!"

Just as he left the Pokémon Center, most of his team standing behind him, he noticed Salazzle—of all Pokémon—crawling quickly across the ground on all fours into the Poni Wilds. She was moving abnormally fast, but not fast enough for Niko to not notice the small Purple Petal in her mouth.

 _There's one still in the village_ , Niko said, turning towards the boathouses. _But where…_ he looked around. Poipole then pointed to the Steelix boathouse. "Hapu's house?" he asked. Poipole nodded—that's where the Island Kahuna lived. Maybe something was there? "Let's give it a shot. Return," Niko said. He felt that he only needed the Poison Pin Pokémon, who had a better familiarity with this particular boathouse.

Right after he entered he noticed a grin on Hapu's face as she was buried in a book. "Looking for something?" she asked playfully.

"Yep. Mind if I search your house?" Niko asked. The Kahuna nodded her approval, and Niko and Poipole frantically searched the house for something—anything—that resembled a Purple Petal. After several minutes, Poipole screeched out, picking up the desired item from in a sock drawer. Niko ran over, noticing the long, black pairs of socks in the drawer. He turned to Hapu, noticing her lack of shoes for the first time, which revealed unusually long black socks.

"Good luck!" the Kahuna shouted. Niko nodded, running off with Poipole. Only one left.

As soon as he exited the Kahuna's boathouse, he saw Charlotte sprinting with Decidueye towards Mina's Whiscash-shaped boathouse. She had found all of them first. _And I was so close! Only one left!_ Niko shouted. Poipole, understanding his frustration, darted off towards Poni Wilds. It wasn't about to quit.

Smiling, Niko ran off as well.

* * *

"Found them all?" Mina asked as she got up from a seat facing a white canvass with splashes of colorful paint all over them. Charlotte, panting from exhaustion, nodded as she returned Decidueye. "Well done! Now, when you put them together…" she said, taking Charlotte's seven petals and placing them together, "you create this!" Mina held up a rainbow-colored flower. "This should call the—oh, it's here," she said without emotion as they heard a loud fluttering noise outside. Soon, the doors burst open, and in its place was a massive Bee Fly Pokémon.

"Ribombee…?" Charlotte asked. "The Totem is Ribombee?"

"Yup! My first Pokémon!" Mina shouted excitedly. Have fun!"

Charlotte ripped a pokéball from her belt and threw it as soon as the classic orange aura surrounded Ribombee. "Salazzle, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning the Toxic Lizard Pokémon, who had recently healed from her battle against Mina. "Use toxic!"

She should have known that Ribombee would be faster than that. The Bee Fly Pokémon shifted to the side, away from the bubbling pool of poison underneath it. Ribombee then quickly fluttered around in a dancing motion before glowing a bright green color briefly. It then charged at Salazzle and tackled her to the ground, planting a quick kiss on her cheek which seemed to immediately exhaust her. Totem Ribombee then got back into the air, close to the ceiling of the boathouse, before releasing a flash of bright pink light, nearly blinding Salazzle.

"Flame burst!" Charlotte commanded. Salazzle got back up and shot fireballs in quick succession at Ribombee, missing nearly all of them save for the final one, which hit Totem Ribombee directly in the chest, knocking it to the ground. "Now, toxic!"

Salazzle hissed at her opponent, conjuring a circle of oozing purple liquid below. It burst upwards, causing Ribombee to cry out in a whistling sound. Suddenly, the window to the side of the boathouse opened and a Pelipper appeared. It quickly spat hot water in Salazzle's direction. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon slid to the side in response before Pelipper attempt the attack again. Salazzle shifted from left to right, dodging each attack in turn before leaping forward and spraying venom all over the both of them. Totem Ribombee screamed out, while Pelipper simply tried shaking it off.

Once Salazzle landed, she turned out, along to see Pelipper quickly do the same. Before she knew it, boiling water was hitting her directly in the face, knocking her backwards into a couch. She slowly rolled herself off of the furniture before glaring at Pelipper and Ribombee, the latter of which now looked furious.

Then, it began to rain.

Salazzle looked around in anger. It wasn't supposed to rain _inside_? In response, Charlotte returned her. She had other plans.

"Ampharos, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning the Light Pokémon. "Use electro ball on Pelipper!"

Ampharos charged at Pelipper, his tail alight with electricity. He then leapt into the air, spun around, and slammed the electrically-charged red-pointed tail into the Pelipper's massive mouth, knocking it out of the window opposite the one it had entered.

"Now, return!" Charlotte said. "Salazzle, you're up! Let's finish this!"

Salazzle nodded. It was still raining, but at least she wasn't getting hit with scalding water anymore. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon quickly ran across the ground towards Totem Ribombee, who continued to dance around in the air. It released a blinding light which Salazzle stopped to close her eyes, as she knew it would blind her. Once the attack terminated, she looked up and sprayed venom everywhere, missing at first.

"Now, flame burst the ground!" Charlotte commanded. This was not the best way to win, she thought, but it'd work. Salazzle fired at the ground, burning the poison and causing the gasses to float to the ceiling, covering the area around Totem Ribombee. While it was trying to escape, Salazzle leapt at it and released a jet of flames, knocking Ribombee to the ground in defeat.

"Well well well," Mina said, looking impressed. "Well done, Charlotte and Salazzle. Let's let this air out, first," she said. Charlotte summoned Noivern, who furiously flapped the gasses out of the boathouse, leaving what was now a destroyed home.

"Sorry about this…" Charlotte said apologetically.

"Why are you?" Mina asked without emotion. "It happens all the time," she turned to Charlotte, holding out a light pink Z-crystal. "Here, as proof of your victory, I award you with Fairium-Z. You can use the move Twinkle Tackle with it."

"Twinkle Tackle?" Charlotte asked, amused by the name of the all-powerful Z-move.

"Yes," Mina said quickly and thoughtlessly. Charlotte immediately conjured a more serious expression and nodded. Spinning on her feet, she and Salazzle left the boathouse. As they did, they noticed Niko, Warren, and Rotomdex standing outside. Niko brought her into a quick hug.

"Great job, Charlotte," he said warmly.

"Now you're up!" Charlotte said excitedly. "Did you find all of the petals?"

"Yes…" Niko said, holding up a Red Petal. "I had found six of them when I saw you running here. Needed to go back to Poni Wilds to find it."

Charlotte simply winked at him before lightly pushing him towards the boathouse.

* * *

Niko stepped into the boathouse, only to see Mina standing there with no discernible expression on her face. She looked up, noticed Niko, and nodded. "Ready?"

"Always," he held out a pokéball. _Fairy types…that means only a couple Pokémon will be useful here_.

Suddenly, from a window to the side a massive (relatively speaking) Ribombee appeared. Niko then threw out Incineroar's pokéball. They'd finish off these fairy types in the same way he and Charlotte had done before.

"Use flamethrower!" Niko shouted. Incineroar powerfully emitted a burst of flames from his waist belt, missing the unusually fast Ribombee. _That's right…the aura gives them strength. And we know—Ribombee is a very fast Pokémon naturally_. Before they knew it, the Totem Pokémon was on Incineroar, lightly kissing his cheek and instantly draining him of his energy. The Heel Pokémon collapsed onto his knees, breathing heavily. Ribombee then danced around quickly before emitting a bright pink light, knocking Incineroar onto his back in defeat.

Niko was stunned. How did Charlotte beat this thing so quickly? One of his strongest Pokémon easily fell to the Totem that they had an advantage on. He reluctantly returned Incineroar and considered his next move.

 _Poipole? No. He's not ready. Drampa can't, Ribombee shouldn't. That leaves Vaporeon and Toucannon._ He settled with the latter. "Toucannon, I choose you!" he shouted, summoning the Toucan Pokémon. "Let's start off with echoed voice!" he shouted, figuring that it might slow down Totem Ribombee. He had to focus here—he owned this Pokémon. He knew its movements better than anyone in their group. He knew how it fought. This should be easier.

Toucannon released a high-pitched scream that slowed down Ribombee, albeit not by much. Niko then ordered Toucannon to pursue Ribombee with drill peck. The two shot around the room, weaving around furniture—and accidentally knocking some over—before Toucannon crashed into the floor after Ribombee faked him out.

"Get up!" Niko shouted. Toucannon did, dislodging his curved beak from the wood flooring before using echoed voice again, this time louder. Niko could even see sound waves visibly crash into Totem Ribombee, who flinched from the attack before releasing a dazzling gleam. Toucannon responded by using echoed voice again—the only attack of his that could reasonably phase through the light. Ribombee felt the sound waves slam against it and responded by rocketing downwards to directly attack it. "Beak blast!" Niko shouted.

Toucannon's beak started to glow a bright orange-red color. When Totem Ribombee landed to kiss the bird's cheek, Toucannon quickly moved his head to the side, slamming the heated beak into the Totem Pokémon before firing the blast of hot energy at Ribombee.

"Now's our chance!" Niko shouted, lifting his Z-ring to reveal Flyinium-Z inside. "Toucannon! Use Supersonic Skystrike!"

Toucannon felt a rush of energy as he shot into the air, shattering the ceiling of the Whiscash boathouse. Ribombee slowly got back up as soon as its opponent rocketed downwards towards it. In retaliation, it prepared a dazzling gleam that lit up the room in a pink light. However, it wasn't enough—Toucannon was already on a warpath.

The two crashed through the boathouse and into the water. Moments later, Toucannon flew back above the wood flooring with Totem Ribombee in his talons. He dropped the Totem Pokémon before nearly collapsing himself.

Niko heard Mina clap from near the doorway. Just after her, Charlotte, Warren, and Rotomdex appeared. Quickly, Niko's friends congratulated him, with Charlotte hugging him tightly.

"Niko, well done," Mina said, holding out a light pink Z-crystal. "This is Fairium-Z. You can use the move Twinkle Tackle with it," ignoring the light snickering from Niko, the Trial Captain continued. "Now both of you should arrange a battle with Hapu. She likes to change the locations of her Grand Trials on occasion, but they're usually at Exeggutor Island. It's just off the coast of Seafolk Village."

"Gotcha. And thanks, Mina," Niko said, holding out his hand. "That was our last trial."

"I know," Mina replied, a slight smirk appearing on her face in a similar manner to Nanu. "Good luck against Hapu. You'll both need it for sure."

"Noted," Niko said, turning to Charlotte and nodding. They could do it. The Alola League was quickly approaching, and Niko felt like he was ready for it.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hope you guys enjoyed it. This was originally supposed to be two episodes, but I figured it'd be easier to just condense it into one.**

 **Also, a close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on , the sister site to . If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	45. The last trial

**Episode 45: The last trial**

Exeggutor Island was, as Hapu put it, a paradise for Exeggutor, designated as a special preserve for the Coconut Pokémon unique to the island. It was relatively small, with two chunks of land connected by a thinner strip of land that made it look similar to an hourglass.

After completing Mina's trial in Seafolk Village, the trio went to Hapu to arrange a match. Fortunately, she was free the following day and set off with them on a small boat (that was curiously shaped like a Barboach) towards the island. During that time, she explained how her Grand Trial would work—a 4-on-4 Pokémon battle—as well as provide information about the island.

" _Bzzzt, Exeggutor, the Coconut Pokémon! Grass and dragon type! Exeggutor is the pride of the Alolan people. Its image is carved into historical buildings and murals._ "

"Never would've guessed," Niko said, taking a look at some of the Exeggutor as they slowly moved around the island. Their necks were incredibly long, causing their heads at the top to bob left and right, back and forth, with each movement they made. "Also…would never have taken Exeggutor for a dragon type."

"You've probably seen plenty of these before, right Niko?" Charlotte asked as she looked up at her boyfriend.

"Yeah, a couple. That's why I'm so surprised. They look really different," he said. "How tall are they?"

"They average about 35-36 feet tall," Hapu said, also looking directly up, "they're really friendly, fortunately. If they weren't we'd have a real problem."

"It's probably because they have a home to call their own," Warren added helpfully. Hapu turned to him and nodded. She then took several steps forward before spinning on her feet and stomping the ground.

"Now! Niko, Charlotte, I formally accept your challenge to face me in Poni Island's Grand Trial!" Hapu roared out. "This will be a four on four Pokémon battle. The winner will be the trainer with Pokémon remaining. Battles will be decided by our judge, Brian, who is an official Alola League judge for the Lanakila Conference!"

Niko and Charlotte waved to Brian, who waved back cheerfully.

"Now! Who will go first?"

"Niko, you first," Charlotte said cheerfully. "I won the race in Mina's trial, so it's your turn."

Niko nodded, stepping forward. His Pokémon could do this. For sure. _Poipole is the only one that shouldn't battle here…_ he thought to himself. _Otherwise, we've got this_. He then noticed Hapu summon a Golurk. "Incineroar, you're up!" he shouted, throwing out a pokéball containing the Heel Pokémon. "Buddy—we win this, we go to the Alola League. You're starting us off."

Incineroar nodded, his fists lighting up with dark flames. It's clear he knew what move to begin with, as did Niko.

"Darkest lariat!" Niko roared out, thrusting a hand forward.

"Stealth rock!" Hapu commanded, obviously realizing she could take the hit. Golurk thrust both of its stone hands forward, opening them to reveal two massive palms. Out of them shot pointed rocks that surrounded the area Incineroar had started in. The Heel Pokémon ignored the move, trying to gain speed and power before ultimately crashing into the Automaton Pokémon. Niko pumped a fist. They were off to a great start. However, he did have to worry about that stealth rock.

"Flamethrower!" Niko commanded. Hapu commanded earthquake in response, which threw Incineroar off guard, causing the flamethrower to miss—and nearly hit Rotomdex on accident.

" _Watch it!_ " the talking pokédex shouted angrily. Niko and Incineroar apologized nervously before turning their attentions back to Golurk.

"Incineroar, double kick," Niko suggested, realizing the futility of it. Incineroar, noticing this as well, looked confused before attacking anyways. He charged down the battlefield towards Golurk, who's hand was glowing bright white.

"Hammer arm!" Hapu commanded. Incineroar dodged the attack by rolling to the right before leaping into the air, his feet glowing.

"Darkest lariat!" Niko shouted. Incineroar, now one of his feet _inside_ Golurk, burst into flames. Incineroar ripped through the ghost type with its dark, fiery spin. Coming out on the other side, The Heel Pokémon turned to see the Automaton Pokémon on one knee.

"Earthquake," Hapu said carefully. The ground shook around them.

"Darkest lariat!" Niko roared out. Incineroar burst into flames once more, spinning furiously towards Golurk, who responded with a hammer arm. Both attacks collided, launching the Pokémon in directions opposite their trainer. Both then collapsed on the ground in defeat.

"Incineroar and Golurk are both unable to battle! Kahuna Hapu and Challenger Niko will now use their second Pokémon!"

"Gastrodon, you're up!" Hapu commanded, summoning a familiar-looking Sea Slug Pokémon. Niko smirked. He had the best choice for this.

"Ribombee, you're up!" Niko shouted, summoning the Bee Fly Pokémon, who flinched from the pointed stones thrusting themselves at him. "Use dazzling gleam!"

"Muddy water!" Hapu commanded. The brown-colored water missed the unusually small Ribombee, who used the opportunity to fly around, through the dazzling gleam and behind his opponent. Niko then commanded him to use stun spore, which then briefly paralyzed Hapu's Pokémon. "No! Gastrodon, use mud bomb!"

"Energy ball!" Niko shouted. Ribombee floated in front of Gastrodon and fired a light green sphere made up of pure energy, colliding with the Sea Slug and causing it to elicit a low groan. "Yes! Well done!" Niko praised before seeing Hapu smirk.

"Recover," she said. Gastrodon began to glow a bright white color, indicating that it was healing. "Now, sludge bomb!"

Ribombee, fortunately, was able to dodge the attack before releasing a second stun spore, to which Gastrodon responded by throwing dirty brown water, nullifying the effects. Niko grit his teeth—this was going to be harder than he anticipated.

"Dazzling gleam!" Niko commanded. While a bright pink light engulfed the area, Niko nodded to Ribombee. They'd try a combination move that Niko had come up a few days prior.

The Bee Fly Pokémon shot through the light towards Gastrodon, all the while collecting pollen in between his hands. He raised it above his head and threw it onto Gastrodon. Then…the Sea Slug Pokémon couldn't move.

"What?" Hapu said in astonishment. "H-how?"

"Combined stun spore with pollen puff," Niko said calmly as Ribombee fluttered backwards towards him. "Now, let's finish this. Use energy ball!"

Hapu and Gastrodon looked in awe as Ribombee conjured a massive sphere of pure energy and threw it down on the ground type. It burst upon contact, creating a small explosion that slammed Gastrodon's head into the grassy field below it.

"Gastrodon is unable to battle, Ribombee is the winner!" Brian declared. "Kahuna Hapu will now send her third Pokémon out."

"Return, Ribombee," Niko said, waiting for Hapu to summon her next one.

"Flygon, I choose you!" she shouted.

"Drampa, you're up!" Niko cried out. "Use dragonbreath!" Drampa obeyed as soon as the pointed stones from stealth rock disappeared.

"Flygon, dragonbreath as well!" Hapu commanded. The two streams of purple and orange fire met in the middle of the field, creating a cloud of smoke that slowly expanded outwards. "Now, drop to the ground and use earthquake!"

"Into the air, Drampa!" Niko shouted. The Placid Pokémon quickly took flight, albeit only floating to evade the quaking field beneath him. "Now, dragon pulse!"

Once the earthquake finished, Drampa crashed onto the ground, raised his head to his highest extent and, his body glowing a transparent purple color, fired a wave of draconic energy at his opponent.

"Sand tomb!" Hapu commanded. Flygon whipped up sand all around it, minimizing the damage dealt by dragon pulse. "Now, dragonbreath!"

"Dodge and use extrasensory!" Niko commanded. He had recently worked on this move with Drampa, trying to better understand it. He felt like he did, at this point, as the Placid Pokémon used the move to re-direct the flames directly upwards and into the sky. "Now, dragon pulse!" Drampa fired off another wave of energy that was met with dragonbreath, once more minimizing the attack. _We have to get closer, then. Flygon keeps blocking our attacks_ , Niko thought to himself. He was disappointed, too. He should know how to deal with Flygons better. After all, his own brother owned one.

"Flygon, use sand tomb!" Hapu commanded, thrusting a hand outwards. Flygon then conjured another twister of sand, capturing Drampa within in. The Placid Pokémon attempted to use a dragonbreath through the attack, but it hardly did much. Flygon then shook the ground aggressively, causing Drampa to crumble to the ground.

Niko and his Pokémon waited for the sand tomb to subside before acting. Once it they, they made their move. "Dragon pulse!" Niko yelled.

"Dodge and use dragonbreath!" Hapu commanded. Flygon waited to strategically leap into the air, watching the dragon pulse rip up the grass beneath it. Flygon then fired down a stream of purple and orange flames, striking Drampa and engulfing him within them. "Now, finish it off with earthquake!"

Flygon crashed onto the ground, causing it to shake viciously. Drampa was unable to move—the ground was swaying back and forth much too fast for him to react. He simply collapsed forward in defeat.

"Drampa is unable to battle, Flygon is the winner!" Brian declared. "Challenger Niko will now use his next Pokémon!"

"Ribombee!" Niko shouted passionately. "I choose you!" Once more, the stones struck Ribombee, who winced. He might be small, but those rocks knew exactly where to go.

"Flygon, sand tomb," Hapu said, now cautiously. There was only so much she could do against the tiny Pokémon. Flygon, clearly estimating where Ribombee could move to in response, whipped up sand within a several foot radius around Ribombee, who tried to escape but got caught in the sand wall viciously spinning around him. "Now, earthquake!"

"Ribombee, dazzling gleam," Niko said calmly. They could handle this—they had an enormous advantage here. The Bee Fly Pokémon closed his eyes, focusing on finding the energy to use the powerful move. He then just as quickly opened them, releasing a flash of pink light that expanded well past the barriers of the sand tomb, striking Flygon, who fell back towards the ground. "Stun spore!" Niko commanded.

Ribombee fluttered quickly towards Flygon, spraying yellow spores everywhere. Flygon temporarily lost the ability to move, just as Ribombee used dazzling gleam a second time, now defeating the Mystic Pokémon.

"Flygon is unable to battle, Ribombee is the winner!" Brian declared. "Kahuna Hapu will now use her fourth and final Pokémon!"

"Return," Hapu said, staring down the field at Niko. "I'm impressed. I think you'd do just fine at the Lanakila Conference. However, that's if you can defeat this one. Mudsdale, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning a familiar brown horse. "Use heavy slam!"

"Ribombee, stun spore!" Niko shouted, hoping to get Mudsdale to stop moving before it landed. This strategy failed, and Ribombee managed to paralyze the Mudsdale as it was descending towards him. Ribombee tried to move out of the way, but instead his opponent crashed down on him.

There was no way the little Bee Fly survived that attack.

Charlotte and Warren's mouths hung agape. They knew how much Mudsdale weighed. Now that it couldn't move, it felt like a meteor struck the tiny creature.

Then Niko saw something crawling out from underneath Mudsdale. It was Ribombee. However, he collapsed as soon as he was far enough away from the paralyzed Pokémon.

"Ribombee is unable to battle, Mudsdale is the winner! Challenger Niko will now use his fourth and final Pokémon!" Brian declared.

"Ribombee, return. Well done, buddy. Vaporeon, it's all up to you!" Niko shouted. As soon as the Bubble Jet Pokémon entered the field, Mudsdale regained the ability to move, and the pointed stones from stealth rock struck Vaporeon, causing her to whimper quietly. _Of course…no time to breathe_. "Use water pulse!"

"Earthquake!" Hapu commanded. Mudsdale roared out, aggressively shaking the ground underneath it. Vaporeon struggled to focus her attack, ultimately misfiring and hitting the ground next to her opponent. She then, on Niko's command, charged forward, trying to ignore the quaking ground, and leapt into the air to use aqua tail. "Double kick!"

Mudsdale swiftly turned around and lifted its hind legs into the air, kicking Vaporeon with each one before sending her rocketing into the air. She crashed onto the ground near the edge of Exeggutor Island.

"Are you okay?" Niko called out to her. She nodded, slowly getting back up. "Yeah, you're no quitter, buddy," Niko said with a smirk. Vaporeon smiled back at him. She was stronger than JJ's Umbreon. He knew that much. "Let's show Hapu what you're really made of, Vaporeon. Use aurora beam!"

"Heavy slam!" Hapu commanded. Mudsdale charged at Vaporeon before leaping high into the air once it was halfway to its opponent. Vaporeon then froze the ground underneath her and rolled forward, causing Mudsdale to crash into the icy grass instead. "Earthquake!" Hapu shouted.

"Water pulse!" Niko cried out. Vaporeon spun back around and fired a quickly-conjured pulsating orb of water at Mudsdale, hitting it directly in the face. "Now, aurora beam!"

Vaporeon successfully fired the rainbow-colored stream of energy. She knew by now that it would be difficult to focus an attack during an earthquake, and instead initially aimed at the ground, allowing it room to "misfire" upwards and hit Mudsdale, who promptly stopped shaking the earth once it was hit.

"Payback!" Hapu commanded. Mudsdale rampaged towards Vaporeon, who leapt into the air, somersaulted forward, and quickly landed an aqua tail on the Pokémon's back before rolling to the side, narrowly evading the attack. "Earthquake!"

"Aurora beam again!" Niko shouted. This time, Vaporeon managed to freeze Mudsdale's feet, causing it to halt the attack. Before issuing another attack, he noticed Hapu's Z-ring glowing a bright brown color. "Vaporeon, watch out."

"Mudsdale! Use Tectonic Rage!" Hapu shouted, performing a series of poses before transferring energy to her Pokémon. Mudsdale ripped out of the icy constraints before burrowing into the island.

Vaporeon and Niko looked around them nervously. He had no idea where Mudsdale would come from. So, he had the Bubble Jet Pokémon constantly move around in hopes to evading the attack. Then, suddenly, Mudsdale ripped through the ground just to Vaporeon's left, knocking her to the side as it shot into the air and performed a heavy slam in combination with its Z-move, successfully landing on Vaporeon.

"No!" Niko shouted as Mudsdale removed itself from the injured Vaporeon. "No… _you can do this_! Remember where you come from, Vaporeon!"

The Bubble Jet Pokémon slowly got up, coughing a little. Niko noticed dirt coming from her mouth as she looked up, glaring into Mudsdale's eyes. He felt his Z-ring tingle with energy. He reached into his bag and pulled out the light blue Z-crystal.

"Vaporeon…" Niko said, holding his own Z-ring up. "It's our turn. Use Hydro Vortex!"

Waves surrounded Vaporeon as she shot towards Mudsdale, capturing the ground type in a massive, blue whirlpool. Mudsdale crashed and rammed into the sides of the vortex before being thrust into the ground. With the last bit of her energy, Vaporeon charged at her opponent, leaping again into the air and firing a water pulse from above. Mudsdale groaned as the attack burst on its side.

"Mudsdale is unable to battle!" Brian declared. "Vaporeon is the winner, and the victory goes to Challenger Niko!"

Niko dropped to his knees as he held out his hands for Vaporeon. The Bubble Jet quickly limped towards her trainer, leaping into his arms.

"You've come so far," Niko said. "And you're only going to get stronger. JJ and his Umbreon would be so proud of you."

Vaporeon nodded, tears in her eyes.

* * *

Brian had just declared the rules of the second match when Hapu and Charlotte summoned their first Pokémon.

"Golurk!"

"Decidueye!" Charlotte commanded, summoning the large owl Pokémon. "Let's start off with leaf blade!"

"Golurk, shadow punch!" Hapu commanded. The Automaton Pokémon thrust a spectral fist forward, attempting to strike Decidueye. However, the Arrow Quill Pokémon was much faster, briefly disappearing before striking at Golurk with his wing, knocking the giant stone creature backwards. Decidueye then thrust himself into the air, somersaulting backwards before landing in front of Charlotte again, his wings covering his body. "Earthquake!"

"Spirit shackle!" Charlotte commanded. With the blink of an eye, Decidueye withdrew, aimed, and fired a purple arrow at Golurk, striking it in the left shoulder and interrupting the earthquake as its user collapsed onto one knee. "And again!" Decidueye now hit the right shoulder within no time at all, causing Golurk to fall onto both knees, clutching at its shoulder with the opposite hand. "And finish it off with ominous wind!"

Decidueye opened his leafy wings wide and flapped them viciously, casting a purple-colored gale in his opponent's direction. Golurk then crumbled forward in defeat.

"Golurk is unable to battle, Decidueye is the winner! Kahuna Hapu will now send out her second Pokémon!" Brian declared.

"Gastrodon, I choose you!" Hapu commanded, noticing Charlotte returning her own Pokémon. "Huh?"

"Mudsdale, you're up!" Charlotte said calmly. It made little sense, but a Gastrodon was the perfect opponent for her Mudsdale. After all, the Draft Horse Pokémon _hated_ Gastrodons. "Use high horsepower!"

"Gastrodon, muddy water!" Hapu commanded. Before she noticed it, however, the heavy-looking horse was upon her Pokémon, crashing into it and launching it high into the air. Mudsdale then spun around and slammed it in the stomach with a mega kick, rocketing the Sea Slug Pokémon behind its trainer and nearly hitting an Exeggutor. "Sorry…" the Kahuna said apologetically to the Coconut Pokémon, who nodded angrily. "Gastrodon, recover!"

"Mudsdale, heavy slam!" Charlotte shouted. Mudsdale charged again at the Sea Slug, this time leaping into the air. As it did so, Gastrodon fired a sludge bomb upwards, striking Mudsdale in the stomach and forcing him to the ground just in front of his opponent, who doused him in dirty, muddy water. "Bide!" she shouted, noticing now that Mudsdale was poisoned from the attack.

He rose back up, only standing as the muddy water continued to wash over him. Mudsdale winced—normally he enjoyed mud, but this was too watery to be comfortable. Plus, the poison was taking its toll on his energy. Only just a little bit longer, and he could come out on top of this. Once Gastrodon fired a second sludge bomb did he finally retaliate, releasing a powerful stream of white energy from his mouth. It struck Gastrodon directly in the face. Mudsdale then, on Charlotte's command, charged forward with high horsepower and dragged Gastrodon across the field towards a rock wall near the edge of the island, leaving a significant dent inside it.

"Gastrodon is unable to battle, Mudsdale is the winner! Kahuna Hapu will now use her third Pokémon!" Brian declared.

"Flygon, I choose you!" Hapu shouted, summoning the Mystic Pokémon. "Use dragonbreath!"

"Mudsdale, bide!" Charlotte commanded. Mudsdale created another transparent white cloak around his body, soaking in the energy from the purple and orange flames striking against his skin.

They wait again as Flygon proceeded to use earth power to hit Mudsdale from underneath, forcing him a foot into the air before he crashed back down, nearly losing his balance. That's how powerful the attack was. Charlotte grit her teeth, much in the same way Niko did, as she saw Mudsdale begin to waver. This wasn't going to go well.

"Sand tomb!" Hapu commanded. Sand gathered around the Draft Horse Pokémon, rising up around him in a swirling motion. Mudsdale then finally released the energy in a powerful white stream. However, he missed Flygon this time, as the Mystic Pokémon easily dodged the move and used earth power again, this time knocking Mudsdale off of his balance, causing him to collapse on his side. "Earthquake!"

"Mudsdale!" Charlotte shouted as the ground underneath them viciously quaked, moving Mudsdale slightly before defeating him.

"Mudsdale is unable to battle, Flygon is the winner!" Brian declared. "Challenger Charlotte will now use her next Pokémon!"

"Mudsdale, return," Charlotte said. "Noivern, you're up!" out of her pokéball came the Sound Wave Pokémon, eager to fight. "Use screech!"

"Dragonbreath!" Hapu commanded. Fortunately, the Mystic Pokémon seemed annoyed by the obnoxiously loud sound of Noivern's ears. Unfortunately, however, the dragonbreath hit Noivern, knocking her backwards and towards the ground.

"Acrobatics!" Charlotte commanded. She knew that Flygon could only use one move against Noivern. She strove to exploit that. The Sound Wave Pokémon shifted through the air before crashing into Flygon, knocking it backwards as well. "Dragon pulse!" she shouted.

This attack seemed to do the trick, causing dirt and dust to explode into the air. Noivern stood in midair, waiting for the dust to subside, and for Flygon to re-appear.

In its place, a powerful jet of purple and orange fire shot forward and struck Noivern, knocking her to the ground as well.

"Dragon pulse again!" Charlotte commanded. Noivern fired a purple burst of energy from her circular ears, aimed directly at Flygon, who attempted to block the attack with dragonbreath. The flames barely held together long enough for Flygon to move out of the way of the dragon pulse by rolling to the side. "Acrobatics!" she shouted. Charlotte wasn't about to let that Flygon out of her sight.

Noivern shot through the air, quickly moving side-to-side through the space between her and Flygon. She then struck by tackling the Mystic Pokémon with her entire body. Up-close, Charlotte commanded Noivern to use dragon pulse one final time.

The resulting explosion from the attack sent Noivern hurtling high into the air before crashing on her back in front of Charlotte. Fortunately, Noivern was able to get back up. Unfortunately for Hapu, her Pokémon didn't.

"Flygon is unable to battle, Noivern is the winner!" Brian declared. "Kahuna Hapu will now use her fourth and final Pokémon!"

"I'm sure you saw this one coming," the Kahuna said with a smirk. "Mudsdale, I choose you!"

"Noivern, we still have the advantage. We can really give this Pokémon a run for its money," she said with confidence. "Use acrobatics!"

"Mudsdale, double kick," Hapu said calmly. Charlotte figured that the move wouldn't be very effective against Noivern, but it proved how unaware she was of a Mudsdale's true power.

The Draft Horse Pokémon spun around and kicked Noivern in the face with both of its hind legs, knocking Noivern into the ground powerfully. The Sound Wave Pokémon, not expecting the attack to hurt so much, slowly got back onto her feet before summoning a dragon pulse, which Mudsdale dodged by jumping to use heavy slam.

"Noivern, out of the way!" Charlotte shouted. An exhausted Noivern slowly rolled to the left, narrowly dodging the heavy Pokémon's crushing attack. "Now, dragon pulse!"

A burst of purple energy emitted from Noivern's round ears, successfully hitting Mudsdale, who winced from the powerful energy hitting against its body. Mudsdale then charged at Noivern, who attempted to dodge by flying into the air. However, she made the mistake of flying backwards. Mudsdale leapt into the air and crushed Noivern into the ground with heavy slam.

"Noivern!" Charlotte cried out. Mudsdale quickly got off, knowing not to inflict lasting damage from the attack. However, it didn't matter much in the short term—Noivern couldn't get up anyways.

"Noivern is unable to battle, Mudsdale is the winner!" Brian declared, "Challenger Charlotte will now use her next Pokémon!"

"Charlotte isn't doing too bad!" Warren exclaimed. "Still has Decidueye _and_ a fourth Pokémon of her choice! Wow!"

"Yeah…" Niko said, marveling at how powerful his girlfriend seemed. For a moment, he felt intimidated.

"Noivern, return," Charlotte said. "You did great, we'll get you to a Pokémon Center soon enough. Lapras, I choose you!" she shouted. _I can win this. I can win this._ "Use rain dance!"

"Mudsdale, earthquake!" Hapu commanded. The Draft Horse Pokémon aggressively shook the ground, causing the now-immobile Lapras to shake as well. A downpour then showered the grassy field, and clearly irritated Mudsdale.

"Ice beam!" Charlotte shouted. The Transport Pokémon summoned a stream of ice energy that struck Mudsdale in the side, causing it to flinch. Mudsdale responded by charging forward and leaping into the air to use heavy slam. Since Lapras had difficulty moving, she took the hit, striking her opponent with ice shard in the process. Mudsdale crashed into Lapras and rolled off of her, landing on its feet and spinning around to slap her with its hind legs. "Water pulse!"

Lapras quickly conjured a pulsating orb of water that, aided by the rain, struck Mudsdale in the back thigh, bursting everywhere. The Draft Horse Pokémon charged towards Hapu before turning back around.

"Enough horsing around, "Hapu said with a wink, holding up her Z-ring. "Let's finish this. Mudsdale, Tectonic Rage!"

 _We're not even close_ , Charlotte thought to herself. She still had Decidueye ready to fight, and relatively healthy. Meanwhile, she and Lapras waited for Mudsdale to strike. It wouldn't be like when Vaporeon faced this Z-move—Lapras couldn't really move very far or very fast, at least enough to successfully evade the move.

Suddenly, Mudsdale struck Lapras' underbelly, launching the alternately-colored Pokémon high into the air. Once she started her descent back to the island, Mudsdale spun around and used its hind legs to double kick Lapras, forcing her back into the air before she crashed onto the ground in the middle of the field.

"Our turn!" Charlotte commanded, her Z-ring glowing. "Lapras! Use hydro vortex!"

"Not again," Hapu said exhaustedly. Lapras, aided by the waves around her, charged at Mudsdale, who was engulfed in a powerfully swirling vortex of water. As it was being thrust against the watery walls of the whirlpool, Mudsdale reached out and kicked Lapras in the side, knocking her out of the Z-move and abruptly ending it. And exhausted Draft Horse Pokémon looked at Lapras, who was also panting. Both of them had expended a lot of energy in a short period of time. Hapu and Charlotte both knew the battle was quickly coming to an end.

"Water pulse!"

"Earthquake!"

Both attacks struck their intended targets successfully. Just as the water burst on Mudsdale, Lapras collapsed from the vicious earthquake beating underneath her. Both Pokémon locked eyes before collapsing onto their sides.

"Lapras and Mudsdale are both unable to battle! Since Charlotte has one remaining Pokémon, she is the winner!"

"Phew," Charlotte said, holding out a pokéball to return her purple Lapras. Looking up, the rain began to subside as soon as the battle did. "We did it…" she said softly before getting picked up by Niko. "Oh! Niko, put me down!"

"Sorry," Niko said apologetically, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"It's okay!" Charlotte replied with a smile. "It's not something I'm used to."

"Both of you!" Hapu said authoritatively, yet also with a smile. "Congrats on your victories today. Here," she held out a light-brown Z-crystal with ridged lines on the front. "This is Groundium-Z. You can use Tectonic Rage with it, like so," she said, performing the poses necessary to activate the Z-crystal. "I will also be sending your information to the Lanakila Conference, which begins in about a week's time. Since Alola doesn't have badges, it is generally my responsibility to send trainer's names over as proof of their victory over me, which qualifies them to compete in the conference."

"Thank you, Hapu," Niko said. "And you said it's the Lanakila Conference?"

"Yes, on Ula'ula Island. It's very far from here—will you make it?"

"I…hope so," Niko said nervously, "it took us a week to get here from Po Town."

"Then I'll ride with you," Hapu suggested, "I'm heading to the conference anyways. I always like to watch the trainers that beat me face off against one another. Plus, I don't think I have many more challengers. If so, I'll just loan you a boat."

Niko nodded, remembering when Steven Stone lent him and his friends a boat to travel across half of the Hoenn region. The thought made him smile stupidly.

"Anyway…" Hapu said, noticing Niko's expression, "let's get you three back to the Pokémon Center. Your Pokémon could use a nice rest after that battle," she said, motioning them—and Brian—towards their small Barboach-shaped boat and back towards Seafolk Village.

While heading towards the only major town on Poni Island, Niko put an arm around Charlotte. As they basked in the midday sun, the two contemplated the upcoming challenges they would face on Mount Lanakila. Their next Pokémon League challenge was upon them.

* * *

 **Also, a close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on , the sister site to . If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	46. Mount Lanakila

**Episode 46: Mount Lanakila**

Getting to the top of Mount Lanakila wasn't terribly difficult. Neither was getting to Ula'ula from Poni Island.

Hapu made arrangements to send the trio off on a boat from Seafolk Village to Tapu Village. The trip only took two days, running across the entirety of the Alola region. They were in an ordinary fishing boat—ones similar to the like Niko had ridden on during his previous adventures. And, just like in his previous adventures, he was re-acquainted with his seasickness.

While staying below deck in his room, he thought about the upcoming challenges. Surprisingly, he hadn't thought too much about the Alola League while completing the trials. It seemed that he just went with the motions, only focusing on what was in front of him than what was ahead of him. It was a different feeling, one that he wasn't quite used to. Nevertheless, he continued on his train of thought regarding the upcoming conference.

He would be expected to at least make it to the finals again, as he had in his previous two league challenges. His goal, this time, was to conquer the Elite 4 of Alola and challenge Hau, the Champion of Alola. With his team—extended over seven regions in the Pokémon world—he was confident that he could. He also had mega evolution and was confident that Venusaur and Aggron would be itching to get back into their advanced forms. Beyond that, he had a sizeable collection of Z-moves that he planned to show his older Pokémon.

Once they got to Seafolk Village the first time Niko, Charlotte, and Warren all called their friends and family to let them know of the Lanakila Conference and, with the assistance of Hapu and Mina, gave them all the necessary information required for travelling there. So, Niko expected to at least see his Mom, JJ, and Maizie. Charlotte expected to see her mother, and Warren expected to see Sydney for the first time in nearly half a year.

Something else was bothering Niko. It was, oddly enough, Charlotte. His girlfriend was scarily impressive during their final Grand Trial with Hapu. In fact, she had done better than he had! This wasn't the first time, and Charlotte did have a unique advantage against Hapu, with her strongest Pokémon being a grass type. However, he was now competing in the same conference as her. In Kalos he wasn't entirely worried about Charlotte—he only hoped then that he wouldn't have to battle her, because he was sure he'd win. Now, in Alola, he still didn't want to battle her, but only because he was now worried she might be able to beat him.

Not that it would be devastating for her to do so. Charlotte was strong and competent. She knew what she was doing. Since Melemele Island, her head has been on straight whilst in battle. She didn't mourn a loss quite like she used to. During their training sessions, she was far more focused than Niko had ever seen her, and it reflected in her impressive wins against Hapu and in her trial against Mina, plus the many others before that.

 _No, I can win against her_ , Niko thought. In truth, Charlotte wasn't the only one he was worried about. Melinda was also entering the conference—supposedly—and he might have to face her as well. With his reserves, he could beat her, but she also had reserves, just like Charlotte. Those reserves were far more powerful, the only question was whether or not they'd be used in battle.

Niko sighed. This might be his toughest Pokémon League to date.

* * *

It didn't take long to get to the top of Mount Lanakila. The same person who operated the boat—Devin—took the trio and Rotomdex up in an all-terrain vehicle to the top of the mountain. During which he mentioned that these rides were normal for the Lanakila Conference. Due to its isolation, relatively speaking, league officials ferried visitors, challengers, and the like up to the top from Tapu Village.

The top of Mount Lanakila was cold. Very. Cold. In fact, Niko summoned Incineroar to hold out a fireball in his hand while the trio approached the entrance to the stadium huddled around him.

The stadium itself was a closed-dome building—for good reason, too. It was only a single building, unlike previous leagues where there were several auxiliary stadiums to help contain all of the matches in the first few preliminary rounds. However, there were tall apartment-like buildings around the sides of the stadiums for the audience and competitors. This suggested to Niko that the Lanakila Conference was likely to be smaller than previous league conferences.

Once they entered, Niko returned Incineroar and looked around. The lobby was also smaller than usual, but still larger than an ordinary stadium lobby. Looking around, the trio noticed several trainers and their Pokémon before recognizing a black-haired, glasses-wearing young woman, who eagerly waved when she and Niko caught the other's eye.

"Hey, Niko," Melinda said cheerfully, bringing him into a hug. "You made it."

"I did. So did…you!" Niko said with a slight pause. "Are you ready?"

"Of course," she said with a wink, "are you?"

Niko nodded coolly. He felt ready. "This looks different than usual. Why is that?"

"It's a smaller tournament. Only 32 entrants as opposed to the usual 128," Melinda explained, "and only the semifinals and finals rounds are full battles."

"Wow…" Niko said with awe. "That's…unusual."

"Well it's a smaller region, and less people partake in the Island Challenge than the Gym Challenge, so it makes sense. Anyways, I'm going to meet up with some friends. I'll catch you later!"

Niko waved. "Bye, Melinda…" he turned to Charlotte and Warren. "What?"

They shrugged. "She's pretty cool, you know," Charlotte added. "I can see why you liked her once."

Niko turned slightly red. "Well, I like you more," he argued back, which made her turn red in response.

The two trainers approached the front desk to register, expecting to have to explain their challenges on the islands in depth. However, the lady looked up at them, simply asked for their name, and registered them immediately. Hapu was right—she _did_ contact the League to register them.

"Do you need to see our Pokémon?" Niko asked.

"Nope! I'm assuming you have some. I also assume you don't have any that might be considered illegal to use in this tournament—otherwise Hapu would've notified me."

Niko saw the logic in this, but there was a glaring hole in it. He didn't inquire any further and thanked the woman before turning to see Warren holding Sydney tightly, and Charlotte holding her mother—Emily—as well.

"Niko!" Sydney shouted, running up and nearly tackling him. "I'm so happy you made it here!"

"Hi, Sydney…" Niko said, "How are you?"

"I'm doing great! Just happy to see Warren again," she said, holding his arm with both hands. "Ready to win it all?"

"Well, if I don't I'd like to see Charlotte," Niko said with a wink towards his girlfriend, who was now standing next to her mother. "How're you doing, Emily?"

"I'm great," she said in a light tone of voice. Her hair was short and slightly brown now—similar to Niko's hair color. "I've heard you and Charlotte are doing exceptionally well, right?"

Niko nodded, leading the larger group over to a set of couches where they sat and caught up. Sydney and Emily were introduced to Rotomdex, who floated around them, taking pictures and comparing them to Warren's and Charlotte's descriptions of them. It also attempted to give a detailed analysis of the similarities between Emily and Charlotte, as well as try and find reasons why Warren found Sydney attractive.

Needless to say, it was an awkward discussion.

Niko was about to ask about Sydney's new job when he felt two hands grip his shoulder. Turning to his side he saw a very pregnant Maizie waving to him from behind the couch. Next to her—and directly behind Niko—was JJ, his curly blonde friend.

"JJ!" Niko shouted, standing up, turning around, and embracing his long-time friend. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

"Are you surprised?" Niko shook his head. "It wasn't too far from Paniola Ranch, you know," JJ said, waving to Warren and Charlotte. "Plus, I fully expected to be coming to watch this as soon as you three showed up on Akala Island."

"Maizie," Niko turned his attention to JJ's girlfriend, "you look great!"

"Gee, thanks," Maizie said teasingly, looking down at her protruding stomach. Before anyone could ask, she replied to the question on everyone's mind. "I'm about eight months pregnant now."

"Do you know if it's a boy or girl?" Warren asked aloud.

JJ and Maizie looked at one another before smiling. "A girl."

Niko immediately grabbed JJ, pulling him into a bear hug. "Congrats, man."

Charlotte got up to lightly hug Maizie. Warren shook both of their hands with the widest smile he could create.

"Any names yet?" Warren asked. The parents-to-be shook their heads.

"No, not yet," they said. "We're still thinking of names, but it'll be a while before we come up with one we both like," JJ explained. "Anyway! Niko, Charlotte, let's see your Pokémon teams!"

"We should do that outside," Niko said, turning to see the snow-covered grounds of the stadium. "But we don't have any coats on us."

"You can rent them," Maizie said, referencing her thick black snow coat that stretched down to her knees and covering the bulk of her body. JJ also nodded, referencing his gloves and thick wool beanie.

* * *

"Alright, everyone!" Niko shouted, summoning Incineroar, Toucannon, Ribombee, Vaporeon, Drampa, and Poipole. "Meet JJ and Maizie. I used to travel with JJ a lot—he's a really good friend of mine. Maizie is his girlfriend, and they both own a daycare center on Akala Island."

JJ waved to Incineroar, Ribombee, and Toucannon, as he was familiar with them. He was appalled by Drampa's sheer size, mentioning that he had only heard of the Placid Pokémon in stories. He had no idea how to react to Poipole.

However, he lastly laid eyes on Vaporeon. Crouching down, he held out his hand to the Bubble Jet Pokémon. "Hey there. Do you know who I am?"

Niko whispered to Vaporeon. "He's your father's trainer," Vaporeon looked at JJ with wide eyes before slowly moving towards him. JJ then reached out and caressed Vaporeon's head, particularly the fins on the sides of her head. "She's grown into a powerful Pokémon. She defeated the Poni Island Kahuna's ace Pokémon."

"Hapu!?" JJ exclaimed. "She's tough! You beat her?"

Vaporeon nodded, curious about JJ's surprised reaction. It made sense, however, since she was still _very_ young. In reaction to this, JJ pulled out a pokéball of his own, summoning Umbreon.

"Umbreon, this is the Pokémon that came from the egg I gave Niko. The one you wanted me to give him," JJ said. "Vaporeon, this is your father."

The two eeveelutions looked at one another before sniffing each other. Eventually, recognizing the scent, they nuzzled their heads together affectionately. Niko turned to see Warren tearing up at the sight before noticing that he, too, was also tearing up.

JJ stood back up. "Niko, you've got some excellent Pokémon. They all look like they're in good condition, too," he turned to see Charlotte's full team of Alola Pokémon. "Wow! How'd you catch that shiny Lapras?"

"It came to me, actually," Charlotte said, rubbing the Transport Pokémon's neck while re-telling the story of their escape from Hano Grand Resort. JJ looked impressed.

"I hate that place. Maizie and I tried to stay there and got rejected immediately once they saw how much we made. We could pay for it—barely—but they still didn't serve us. It was disappointing," he said, his face contorted to a frown.

Niko was about to say something in response—regarding how much he hated Ferdinand Diamond—when he felt a snowball hit the back of his head. His entire team of Pokémon swung around instinctively, all ready to fight. When Niko turned he saw his brother, Jake, with a snowball in his hand. Standing next to him was their mother, Daisy, and Brittany. Seeing the three of them made Niko grin wider than he ever had.

"Mom!" he shouted, running through the thin layer of snow to hug his mother, who gladly returned it. "How're you?"

"I'm doing great, Niko. Better now that we're all together. Oh, I have your Pokémon!"

"They've been training a lot, Niko," Jake said with a wink.

"Jake…" Niko said, holding out his hand to shake his brother's, "I thought you'd be in Sinnoh?"

"Taking a break to see you and Charlotte compete. I have six badges, so I think I'll be fine for now," before Niko could ask, he elaborated, "only need Snowpoint's and Sunyshore's badges."

"Those are tough, just so you know," Niko said. "Although I had the toughest time with Byron, actually."

"Yeah he isn't easy. Luckily my Empoleon was able to take him out," he turned to Charlotte, "we also have your Pokémon as well, since they stayed at our house."

Charlotte took the small bag containing six pokéballs. "Thank you both so much."

"We had to move to a new house with more yard space to accommodate all of them," Daisy said. "Professor Oak helps us take care of them. Well, his assistants to, at least, which is really nice of them."

Niko nodded happily, taking the bags of pokéballs and opening it up to see them all. He was truly thankful to Professor Oak. However, before he saw his old battling partners he turned to see Brittany. Her brunette hair was shorter now, and she wore a black pea coat with a black cap. "Brittany…"

"Niko!" she said, taking only a few steps before the two hugged. "You look great."

"So do you," Niko said kindly. "How're the contests going? I haven't seen many of them. Alola doesn't have access to television broadcast in certain regions."

"They're going pretty well. I went to Kalos on vacation and tried their performances. Not as fun, I think. The whole idea of a 'Kalos Queen' is sort of silly in my opinion."

"I don't know anything about them anyways," Niko said with a shrug. "But I'm glad it's going well. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks. I found a guy, by the way," Brittany said in a lower voice than usual, which piqued Niko's interest. "Yeah, he's from the Unova region. His name's Chris. I really like him."

"I can't wait to meet him," Niko said. "That's really awesome. I'm happy for you!"

"How're you and Charlotte doing?" Brittany asked. Fair question, coming from one of his closest friends.

"We're doing really well, actually," Niko said. "A bit of a rough start in Alola, but we worked through it and now everything is excellent. Melinda's here, too. She competed in the Island Trials as well."

Niko marveled at Brittany's surprised expression. Jake overheard this and also looked at him curiously. They knew that Melinda was Niko's first real crush on a girl. They thought it must've been awkward for him to see her in front of his current girlfriend, but he quickly brushed those thoughts away by talking about some of the things he and Charlotte have gotten to do. Listening to him speak of her in such high regard was something they weren't quite used to. Niko hadn't talked about anyone—boy or girl—like he did Charlotte.

Meanwhile, while Daisy and Emily were catching up and asking JJ and Maizie about their pregnancy, Niko and his other friends summoned his and Charlotte's reserves, while Jake and Brittany marveled at the two trainer's Alolan Pokémon.

"Hey everyone!" Niko shouted to his 34 other Pokémon. Looking around, he noticed that he was missing Aurorus. Making a mental note of this, he saw the excited looks on his Pokémon's faces. Aggron and Magneton nearly tackled him to the ground with excitement, as did Delibird. "I—hey! —I missed you all too!" getting back up, he turned to Venusaur. "How're you, buddy? Ready to compete again?"

"Venus," the Seed Pokémon said in a low voice, nodding. Niko turned to some of his other more powerful Pokémon—Feraligatr, Sceptile, Numel, Serperior, and Clawitzer. They all greeted him individually as well.

Then the old Pokémon turned to see the new six additions to Niko's team. For the most part, they all got along well. The exception seemed to be Toucannon, who didn't seem eager to make new friends. Poipole floated around the nearly three dozen Pokémon excitedly, spraying light purple goop from its spikes, which nearly hit the older Pokémon. Drampa easily got along with Venusaur, who took a quick liking to the Placid Pokémon. Incineroar met first with Sceptile and Feraligatr, shaking their hands and claws before leering at them. He knew they were strong. Very strong. And it took all of his willpower to not immediately challenge them to a fight.

Meanwhile, Charlotte acquainted her old six Pokémon—Smeargle, Sawsbuck, Frillish, Tyranitar, Delphox, and Gogoat—with her newer six. Tyranitar, with his red scarf around his neck, displaying the mega stone, immediately went and hugged Charlotte, nearly crushing her back. Smeargle and Sawsbuck also walked over to greet their trainer, with whom they'd been with the longest. She caressed Gogoat's neck, feeling the soft leaves protruding from his body. She teared up a bit—Charlotte didn't realize how much she had missed her other Pokémon.

All of them turned to see Noivern. The last time they had seen the Sound Wave Pokémon, she had been a small little Noibat. Now she was enormous and powerfully built. The first to greet Noivern was Delphox, who examined the larger Pokémon before nodding approvingly.

Niko then grabbed his mega pendant from the bottom of his bag—Charlotte did the same—and put it around his neck.

"You guys ready to win again?" he asked his Pokémon. They—now 40 in all—cheered loudly.

Charlotte did the same to her 12 Pokémon. Compared to Niko, this would be an uphill battle. She knew it would be.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Let me know what you all think of this. These "Pokemon League Intro episodes" are always difficult, because there are so many different kinds of interactions to write for them. The Alola League begins in the next episode.**

 **Also, a close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on the sister site to this one. If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	47. Poipole's first battle!

**Episode 47: Poipole's first battle!**

"Where's Fay?" Niko asked as he, his friends, and family sat down in the lobby to all catch up together.

"He couldn't make it," Jake said, "been busy on a project. He said he'll tune in, since Professor Oak has access to the channel broadcasting this conference," the taller, light-brown haired boy then looked at Niko's wrist, eying his Z-ring. "What's that?"

"Oh? This?" Niko said, raising it up. He smirked. "Let me tell you all about it."

And so he, Charlotte, and Warren went into a detailed explanation of Z-moves, the Island Trials, and everything else that was unique to Alola. Throughout the explanation, Jake's and Brittany's eyes expanded with wonder. Some of Niko's Pokémon—the ones small enough to fit in the lobby—also looked at the different types of crystals with awe.

"You don't have all of them?" Jake asked. Niko and Charlotte shook their heads.

"No, we only get a couple. Some of them we can't really use. Like, for example, I can't use Groundium-Z, and Charlotte can't use Buginium-Z, because our Pokémon don't know ground or bug type moves. If they did then they'd be capable of performing Tectonic Rage and Savage Spin-out, respectively."

"That's amazing!" Jake exclaimed. "I can't wait to see them in action!"

Niko smirked. "You definitely will."

He was about to get up to return his Pokémon when he and Charlotte noticed a young, dark-haired girl with dark skin approaching the registration desk. She was just barely taller than it, with her head peaking over. The couple turned to one another and smiled warmly.

Kaila had made it, too.

"Alola," Niko said calmly, placing a hand on Kaila's shoulder. She flinched for a moment before turning around to see Niko and Charlotte standing there. Immediately, she hugged Niko, her head only going up to his stomach. She then turned to Charlotte, who was of similar height, and hugged her as well. "How're you, Kaila?"

"I'm great!" she exclaimed. "Now that you two are here! Ruffy and I are so excited to compete!"

"We're excited to be competing with you," Niko said, smiling eagerly. "I'm sure you've been training."

"Yup! Lots! Look, I got a new Z-ring!" she said, holding up a black Z-ring. Inside of its was a differently-shaped Z-crystal. "And inside of it is Lycanium-Z!" she exclaimed. It was a light brown-orange crystal with two smaller appendages on each end. "Only Lycanroc can use it, and it can only use it when it knows stone edge! Ruffy has his own Z-move!"

Niko and Charlotte were flabbergasted. This is not what they expected to see when greeting Kaila. There were other exclusive Z-crystals? There was an entirely different Z-ring?

"That's…exciting, Kaila!" Niko said with shock. "Didn't know that existed."

"Neither did I! I'm so excited to use it here! We only got a chance once, during the battle with Totem Kommo-o. That's how Ruffy and I won, actually!" she said with a wide grin.

"Hey, Kaila," Charlotte said, "want to meet our friends and family?"

"Yes! Of course!" Kaila said, limping along with her friends. She wore her usual jeans, only now she was decked out in snow clothes as well. A thick brown coat wrapped her smaller body, with the coat only going down to her waist. Like the others, she wore a snow hat, only this one had a small puffy ball on the top.

"Everyone this is our friend, Kaila. She's from the Alola region."

"Alola!" Kaila said excitedly. "I'm Kaila. I'm 12 years old and from Melemele Island!"

"Nice to see you again, Kaila," JJ said with a nod to her. Maizie waved excitedly.

"Hi," Brittany said, getting up and reaching her hand out to shake Kaila's. "I'm Brittany. I used to travel with Niko and JJ."

"Wow! That's awesome!" Kaila said. "Was he just as great as he is now!?"

"Not as much," Brittany said with a wink to Niko, "but he's one of my closest friends."

"I'm Jake. Niko's brother. This is our Mom, Daisy," Jake said, also shaking Kaila's hand. She lit up with excitement at meeting Niko's family. She registered a similar reaction when she met Charlotte's Mom, Emily.

"And I have all of my older Pokémon, too," Niko said, "so does Charlotte. If you want to meet them, that is."

"YES!" Kaila exclaimed.

"Well, maybe not right now. But I think we can do something tomorrow. Maybe train together?" He said, looking up at Charlotte, who nodded. "The tournament doesn't start for a couple of days anyways. It'd be fun to just hang out for a bit."

"Of course," Charlotte said.

* * *

The following day, an excited Kaila greeted each and every one of Niko's Pokémon. She was particularly excited to meet Venusaur—Niko's first—as well as his Magmortar.

"I have a Magmar!" Kaila exclaimed, sending out her own fire type. The two looked at one another with curiosity. It reminded Niko of when he first caught his Magmar—then his second fire type ever—on Battle Island. He didn't spend much time with it while it was a Magmar, but he did enjoy the company that the Blast Pokémon provided. "Your Venusaur is really cool, too!"

"Thanks, he's amazing," Niko said as he nodded towards the Seed Pokémon. "He can also mega evolve."

"Whaaaat?" Kaila said, "what's that?"

"It's a temporary evolution that certain Pokémon can undergo. It makes then more powerful, but only for a single battle. Once the battle it over, they go back to their normal form. To do this, you need a Key Stone," Niko said, holding up his pendant hanging around his neck, "and a mega stone specific to that Pokémon," he pointed to the scarf around Venusaur's neck that displayed the Venusaurite.

"Woah…" Kaila said, "can all of your Pokémon do that?"

"So far, only two of them—Venusaur and Aggron. But a couple others, like Sceptile, Glalie, and Pidgeot, are also capable. I just don't have their mega stones," he turned to Charlotte, "Charlotte's Tyranitar can mega evolve, too!"

Charlotte nodded, bringing Kaila over to greet her Pokémon. "Tyranitar, this is my friend Kaila. Kaila, notice the scarf? That had a Tyranitarite on it."

Kaila looked in awe. "Can I see it mega evolve?"

"Uh…sure. Tyranitar, you ready?" she asked. The Armor Pokémon nodded. "Mega evolve!" Charlotte shouted, gripping her Key Stone necklace. Tyranitar then found himself engulfed in a sphere that quickly transformed him into a much larger, far more menacing version of himself.

"Oh my god…" Kaila said. "I wouldn't want to fight _that_ thing!"

"Neither would I," Charlotte said with a wink. Tyranitar then reverted back to his original form, looking down happily at Kaila. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a short, red-headed boy walking towards the entrance. "Ugh…Aaron."

"Huh?" Kaila asked.

"Nothing. An old rival of mine just showed up. I don't like him very much."

Kaila turned to see the young boy Charlotte was referencing. She growled lowly. "Well, he looks like a punk anyways."

"He is one. Trust me," Charlotte said, looking up at Tyranitar. The Armor Pokémon also growled. He had a personal vendetta against Aaron as well.

* * *

"Welcome, cousins, to the Lanakila Conference!" Professor Kukui's voice shouted from a box high in the stadium. "I'm Professor Kukui, and on behalf of the Alola League I'm so glad to have all of you here with me today to watch some impressive moves from our Island Challengers. Each one has cleared eight trials from all four Alolan Islands, as well as four Grand Trials, to make it here with us today! As usual, we have 32 entrants into this tournament from all over Alola and even from foreign regions!

"The Conference will go as follows. The first round will be a double battle to decide who will advance to the Top 16. Those will be held today. Tomorrow, the two rounds after that will be half-battles—three-on-three—that will ultimately determine our final four trainers! Afterwards, the semifinal and final rounds will consist of full, six-on-six, Pokémon battles. Each will be held on different days to give the trainers and their Pokémon time to rest.

"After the four days of competition, the winner of the Conference will be given the option to challenge Alola's Elite 4 and, if they advance far enough, our Champion—Hau!"

Niko saw Kukui give the microphone to the dark-skinned young man with a floral shirt on and his hair tied up in the back like a ponytail.

"Welcome, trainers and friends to Alola. I am pleased to see just as much enthusiasm for this tournament as I have in previous years past. As your Champion I have made all of the necessary arrangements to have this conference go as smoothly as it normally does. I hope that we can produce a winner that this conference will truly be proud of. I wish you all luck, and I cannot wait to see the kinds of battles you will engage in."

Niko then looked around. All 32 competitors were standing on the field with him and Charlotte. He noticed Melinda and Kaila in the crowd, as well as Aaron. The sight of the latter made him only slightly furious. He thoroughly disliked the kid and hoped that either he or Charlotte got a chance to defeat him in battle.

Then, he heard a loud clicking noise. Looking up, he saw 32 profiles spinning around to create 16 pairs. These would be their opponents for the first round.

Niko, Charlotte, and their rivals were all with strangers. He noticed that the pairing next to his was of a guy with spiky red and white hair with an oddly menacing expression. _He looks tough_ , Niko thought to himself.

Holding Charlotte's hand, Niko was ready for the Lanakila Conference to begin.

Later that day, the tournament officially started, with the first match being between Melinda and a trainer from Hau'oli City. Niko, Charlotte, and their friends and family watched from the stands as her Primarina and Passimian took on a Torracat and a strange Pokémon called Dhelmise. They managed to quickly defeat the Torracat—which made Niko cringe—but had more difficulty with the ghost/grass type Dhelmise.

"That Dhelmise looks powerful," Niko said. "Does it evolve, Rotomdex?"

" _Bzzzt…nope, guess not. It's a solidly powerful Pokémon on its own, apparently_."

Niko nodded in approval. It was a large anchor-like creature with seaweed and other odd materials wrapped around it. The way it swung its entire body was menacing, nearly taking out the ordinarily-powerful Primarina in a single blow.

He watched a couple more matches before it was his turn. Leaving the stands during the battle before his, he waved to his friends and family and ran down the stairway to the lobby floor. He knew exactly what Pokémon to use. It was a gamble, but the first round being a double battle made up for the slight risk he was going to take.

Walking through the tunnel connecting the lobby floor to the actual battlefield, he saw his first opponent: a short, blonde-haired girl with pink glasses and a black dress. The league official explained the rules—double battle, first to lose both Pokémon loses the match, etc.—before Niko and his opponent, Sara, threw out both pokéballs to start the match.

"Ribombee, Poipole!" Niko shouted, sending out both Pokémon simultaneously. In their way was a Whimsicott and an Alolan Exeggutor. _Perfect match_ , Niko thought. "Poipole! Are you ready for your first ever battle?"

"First ever battle, he says!" Kukui shouted through the microphone. "Would you look at this, folks! An Ultra Beast! Let's see if it can match up to the potential of the other Poipole we once saw!"

Poipole looked around nervously. It clearly didn't expect this many people to be watching it battle. It turned to face Niko, expressing it worries to him. In response, Niko simply nodded with a kind smile.

"You can do this."

"Why Poipole? Why now?" Warren wondered aloud.

"Because the first match is probably going to be the easiest," Charlotte explained, "plus, if Poipole doesn't do well then Niko has a more experienced Pokémon to back it up."

"Whimsicott, use hurricane on Ribombee! Exeggutor, dragon hammer on Poipole!" Sara commanded.

"Both of you dodge! Ribombee, pollen puff into the hurricane! Poipole, charge at Exeggutor and use poison jab, just like we practiced!" Niko commanded loudly, pointing with both hands at his different Pokémon. Ribombee threw pollen into the swirling gust of wind, disguising his escape before charging down the way towards Whimsicott. Meanwhile, Poipole dodged Exeggutor, who thrust its head towards the ground, leaving a dark purple streak in the air behind it. The Poison Pin Pokémon then aimed the top of its head towards Exeggutor's body, poking it viciously with a poison-tipped spike. Exeggutor roared out loudly, dropping egg bombs from the top of its head onto Poipole. It noticed this quickly and weaved in and out to dodge each move before taking a final egg bomb to the head, forcing it to crash into the ground. "Poipole, get up!" Niko shouted. "Use nasty plot! Ribombee, dazzling gleam on Exeggutor!"

Ribombee, still busy in close combat with the Whimsicott, turned his attention to his partner, creating a bright pink light that hit Exeggutor, causing it to roar out in pain again. Ribombee was about to go and help Poipole when it took a hurricane to the back, forcing him into the ground as well.

Niko had to think on his feet quickly. This wasn't going too well. _Was using Poipole the right choice?_ He thought to himself. _No, no it wasn't, Niko! Believe in your Pokémon!_

He then reached into his pocket and pulled out Fairium-Z. "Ribombee! Let's try this out! Use Twinkle Tackle!"

Ribombee turned, noticing the Z-energy transfer from Niko to him. In the bright light resulting from this transfer, Poipole looked up and sat there on the ground, in awe of the orange aura surrounding Ribombee.

The Bee Fly Pokémon charged forward as the space around them turned into a weird blue-pink-white tie dye area. Ribombee spun around Exeggutor before rising up to the full height of the Coconut Pokémon and tackling it, a five-pointed glowing yellow star appearing in front of him.

Exeggutor collapsed backwards, nearly crushing Sara, and lay in defeat.

"Poipole! Use venoshock!" Niko shouted. The Poison Pin Pokémon turned to Whimsicott and sprayed liquid poison everywhere before charging in and stabbing the Windveiled Pokémon in the chest with poison jab. Ribombee then came from behind his partner and threw a pollen puff at Whimsicott. The overwhelmed Pokémon collapsed on its back, also in defeat.

"Exeggutor and Whimsicott are both unable to battle! Ribombee and Poipole are the winners! And the victory goes to Niko from Pallet Town!"

"POIPOLE YOU DID IT!" Niko shouted, running onto the field to hug his newest Pokémon. Poipole cheered happily as well. It felt proud of itself. Ribombee pat it on the back, too, as a way of congratulating his young teammate. "I'm proud of you, buddy. Really am."

* * *

As a reward for winning, Niko kept Poipole out of its pokéball to watch Charlotte's match against a trainer from Malie City.

"And now we have Charlotte from Castelia City versus Randy from Malie City!" Kukui declared through the microphone.

"Noivern, Salazzle, I choose you!" Charlotte commanded, summoning her two choices. In response, Randy send out an Alolan Marowak and a Lurantis—two types of Pokémon that showed up as Totems during her trials. "Noivern, use acrobatics on Marowak! Salazzle, toxic on Lurantis!"

"Marowak, use flame wheel on Noivern! Lurantis, dodge and use slash on Salazzle!" Randy commanded in a deep voice.

Noivern burst through the air, shifting left and right in random ways before striking Marowak before it could get into its flame wheel. The Bone Keeper Pokémon slowly got back up before throwing its white bone, covered in ghostly energy, at Noivern with enough force to cause her to crash into the ground. Marowak then followed up with flare blitz, crashing into the Sound Wave Pokémon with the full force of its body, aided by the flames covering it.

Meanwhile, Salazzle summoned a purple circle underneath Lurantis, who quickly somersaulted through the air to dodge the move just as it was about to burst. Lurantis then charged towards Salazzle, its arm-scythe glowing white. Salazzle swiftly evaded the move by rolling to the right and unleashing a flamethrower in Lurantis' face, causing it to stumble backwards with a few large burns on its arms.

"Well done!" Charlotte shouted in praise. "Salazzle, use dragon rage! Noivern, dragon pulse!"

Both Pokémon fired off powerful bursts of draconic energy—in the form of fire and energy itself—at their opponents. Lurantis managed to slash at the flames, extinguishing them quickly. However, Marowak couldn't evade the powerful pulse of energy, and was knocked back on its rear.

"Noivern, use air slash on Marowak!" Charlotte commanded. Noivern's wings began to glow bright blue at the tips before she flapped them aggressively, throwing small blue blades of energy at Marowak, who blocked it by spinning its bone in front of it. Marowak then threw the bone into the air, to which Noivern dodged with acrobatics and began charging downwards at the Bone Keeper Pokémon. The Sound Wave Pokémon ultimately crashed into Marowak. However, this wasn't enough to defeat them.

Randy's Z-ring then began to glow. He was about to use a Z-move. Him and Lurantis used Breakneck Blitz on Salazzle, dragging the Toxic Lizard Pokémon across the battlefield and towards the wall behind Charlotte. However, Lurantis also fell when Salazzle bathed it in a jet of flames emitting from her mouth. Lurantis fell face-first into the ground, with Salazzle standing victoriously over.

"My turn," Charlotte said with a smirk. Her Z-ring began to glow with the Dragonium-Z sitting inside. Performing the moves alongside Noivern, she yelled out "Devastating Drake!"

Noivern flew backwards, creating space between her and Marowak. She then summoned, using the Z-energy given to her, a large, purple aura in the shape of a flying dragon. The dragon shot out of Noivern and directly into the air before swirling around in the sky and crashing down onto Marowak. A purple explosion of draconic energy enveloped the field, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.

In the aftermath, Noivern shakily stood next to Salazzle, who was also severely weakened. However, Randy's Marowak lay on its back in defeat.

"Marowak and Lurantis are unable to battle! Noivern and Salazzle are the winners, and the victory goes to Charlotte from Castelia City!"

"Fantastic use of Devastating Drake!" Kukui shouted excitedly. "Wouldn't you agree, Hau?"

"Yeah, I could really see Charlotte's passion for battling in that final moment. It was clear that she and her Noivern are very close."

"Close indeed. Well! Now we have a battle between Kaila from Hau'oli City and Don from Heahea City!"

Charlotte moved back into the stands to join her friends. All of them marveling at the Dragonium-Z's power. Charlotte then admitted that she had no idea how powerful the attack was going to be—it also quickly became her favorite Z-move after Gigavolt Havoc.

Niko then put his arm around her, with Poipole in his lap. "One round down," he said, looking down at her before turning his attention back to their friend's battle.

Charlotte nodded. Now that she and Niko had advanced to the Top 16, her chances of achieving her goal were becoming more and more of a reality.

* * *

 **Author's Note: A** **close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on the sister site to this one. If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	48. Mega evolution and Z-moves

**Episode 48: Mega evolution and Z-moves**

"Everything seems to be going smoothly so far," Kukui said after putting down the microphone. He swung around in his chair to see Hau sitting behind him and to his right. They were the only two left in the box after the first round of battles. The Champion had a few fingers resting on his chin, indicating that he was in thought. "Hau?"

"Hmm?"

"Everything seems to be going alright," Kukui repeated.

"Oh. Yeah, seems like it."

"What do you think of these trainers so far?"

"Nothing too out of the ordinary yet. I'll need to see another round before I properly judge them," Hau declared. "But that Poipole…why is that trainer using a Poipole?"

Kukui shrugged, "Niko's different, I guess."

"We were tasked with taking it back to its home…" Hau said, looking curiously at Kukui. "Who's that Niko guy, anyways?" he added. Hau knew that Kukui knew each and every trainer competing in this conference. He always did.

"He's actually quite a strong trainer. I think you've met him before," Hau nodded, "this is his seventh Pokémon League, if I'm not mistaken."

" _Seventh_?" Hau said with surprise.

"Yeah. Why?"

"That's…a lot."

"Not unlike some of the trainers we've seen before," Kukui said with a wink. Hau nodded.

"Right. Ash being one of them…one of the few."

Kukui nodded. "He should be here by the finals, I think. He wanted to show up and watch. You're okay with that, I presume?"

"Yeah, yeah I guess so."

"Do you not like him?" Kukui asked.

"No, it's not that," Hau said, looking away.

"You want to beat him, don't you?"

Hau nodded, eliciting a smile from Kukui.

"You don't have to be the strongest to be a good trainer, Hau. Trust me, I've learned the same lesson."

Hau knew this was true, he just didn't want to admit it. After losing to Ash on more than one occasion, his confidence had taken a deep dive that he was still recovering from. Becoming the Champion of Alola fed his desire, but only so much. He wanted to defeat Ash one day. It had been his goal for several years, since the last World Tournament…

"I'll see you tomorrow, Professor," Hau said, getting up. Kukui nodded, staying still in his chair as he watched the Champion exit the box.

"Kids these days…" Kukui said, looking down at the battlefield. "What kind of surprises do you have for us this time, Niko?"

* * *

Charlotte was upset. Not terribly so, but her mood had been ruined for a brief moment when she saw the pairings for the second round—the Top 16. Niko was against some random trainer, as were Kaila and Melinda. Charlotte, though, wasn't.

She was up against Aaron, of all people.

The next day would consist of two round—Top 16 and Top 8, both half-battles—and Charlotte got to start her day off against her rival from Kalos, whom she hadn't seen much in Alola anyways. Aaron was the reason she lost in the Lumiose Conference, the reason she got as upset as she did.

However, it was because of this that she discovered her new goal.

She tried to think about Pokémon that could beat Aaron. She knew two of his from Alola—Stufful and Mareanie. If they evolved, they likely already have. Using Rotomdex, she looked up those evolutions—Toxapex and Bewear. Based on these two, she began to think of Pokémon that could handle them. Charlotte already knew one that could and kept that in her back pocket as she figured out who else to battle with.

Meanwhile, Niko was preparing for his next battle. Unlike Charlotte, he had no idea who to use. He kind of wanted to let some of his reserves battle. Having so many, it made it difficult to choose. He made a list of all of them on a small notepad and spent a fair amount of time thinking. Until…it didn't seem right.

 _What am I doing? Making a list of Pokémon? This is silly_ , Niko thought to himself, ripping up the paper and throwing it away. He then just chose three Pokémon that he hadn't battled with in a while and went with it.

The friends and family of the two competitors watched as they prepared for their next match with interest. JJ, Brittany, and Jake spent some time catching up with one another. Jake would tell them stories of his adventures in Sinnoh and the other two would try and relate theirs. Jake mentioned that he saw Brittany's profile in some of the contest halls, which made her blush.

"They really do like you there," he said with a kind smile. "I guess you did a great job!"

"She really did," JJ replied. "Her contest battle against Lauren was really impressive."

"It wasn't _that_ impressive," Brittany said, shaking her head.

"No, really!" JJ said. "It was!"

The two kept at it while, nearby, Warren and Sydney were discussing the former's future. He revealed to Sydney what he wanted to do in Castelia City. And, to his surprise, she thought it was a great idea. "It suits you really well, Warren," she said, smiling. For that, she received a peck on the cheek.

By the end of the day, Niko and Charlotte lay in their bed in the room provided to them by the Alola League. Niko turned to look at his girlfriend. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because…you'll be facing Aaron tomorrow. Are you ready for that?"

"Of course I am," Charlotte said. I can beat him. I know I can."

"That's the spirit. I'm with you all the way."

Charlotte kissed him. "Same to you. Know who you're battling with tomorrow?"

"Some old friends," Niko said with a smirk.

"That's…oddly vague," Charlotte replied. "Care to elaborate?"

"No, but I'm pretty confident that we can win."

Charlotte shook her head. "Well of course you can!"

* * *

"Welcome to the second day of the Lanakila Conference! As usual, I am Professor Kukui, and I'll be your host for this tournament. Today we have two rounds of exciting battles for you all! By the end of the day, we will have our Top 4 finalists decided!

"And now, for our first match: we have Charlotte from Castelia City in Unova versus Aaron from Vaniville Town in Kalos!"

Charlotte stepped forward. She was ready to take down this kid.

"Yay! Charlotte!" Aaron exclaimed, waving towards her. "How're you doing? I can't wait to battle you again. It'll be just like in Lumiose City!"

"No…it won't," Charlotte muttered under her breath. She couldn't wait for the league official to allow them to battle. She was more than ready.

"And…you may begin!"

"Crabominable!" Aaron shouted, throwing out a pokéball containing a massive crab-like Pokémon. It was mostly white with a blue face, light yellow hair with two taller hairs stick out on top, and furry white spots on its arms, mouth, and claws. Its claws had the appearance of a dark blue foot print, with the biggest mark being the actual claw. It had four legs with blue tips made out of ice. Its face consisted of a light blue "mask," closed eyes and a large mouth that went down into its chest fur.

"Delphox!" Charlotte commanded, summoning the large, orange-furred bipedal fox.

" _Bzzzt…Crabominable, the Woolly Crab Pokémon. Fighting and ice. Before it stops to think, it just starts pummeling. There are records of its turning back avalanches with a flurry of punches_ ," Rotomdex explained.

"Charlotte couldn't have chosen a better Pokémon for this," Niko said.

" _Bzzzt…I think she was preparing to fight Bewear instead,_ " Rotomdex explained.

"Crabominable, use scald!" Aaron commanded.

"Block it with psybeam!" Charlotte cried out, thrusting a hand forward. Delphox nodded, pointing her twig at Crabominable and repelling the boiling water with a blast of psychic energy. "Now, flame charge!"

"Crabominable, ice punch!" Aaron retaliated. Delphox rushed down the battlefield, her body alight. She ultimately crashed into the Woolly Crab Pokémon, only to have a fist jabbed into her back, shoving her into the ground. Charlotte smirked in response. She had the perfect response.

"Psyshock!"

Delphox, while getting off of the ground, and before taking a second ice punch to the head, flicked her twig in the air, summoning small objects charged with psychic energy, and threw them at Crabominable just as she was thrusted into the dirt ground a second time. Crabominable roared out in pain, backing away from Delphox. This gave her time to get back up and stare down her opponent.

"Good job, Delphox," Charlotte said with a smile. "Now, let's finish it off with mystical fire!"

Delphox nodded, running her twig in perfect circle around her, conjuring flames as she went. Then, pointing the twig in the center, she fired a heavy stream of light-colored flames, dousing her opponent. Crabominable roared out again before falling on its back in defeat.

"Crabominable is unable to battle, Delphox is the winner!" the judge declared, "Aaron will now use his second Pokémon!"

"Return," Aaron said, "I remember that Delphox! It's really strong. However, so are we. Toxapex, you're up!"

The Pokémon Aaron sent out next was just as odd-looking at Crabominable. It was small, about two feet in height, and resembled a starfish. Its main body was even smaller compared to its dozen tentacles, and was suspended in mid-air inside the tentacles, which acted as legs for the creature. The body was primarily purple-colored, with the tentacles a blue color. It had blue eyes with orange sclerae and black irises. Each tentacle had two large spikes in the middle, an orange spike on the top, and two orange spikes on the ends.

" _Toxapex, the Brutal Star Pokémon. Poison and water type. With its twelve legs, it creates a dome to shelter within. The flow of the tides doesn't affect Toxapex in there, so it's very comfortable_ ," Rotomdex explained.

"Now it's more even, type wise," Niko said, looking down at the battle.

"But that Delphox…" Kaila, who was sitting next to Niko, said, "I didn't know Charlotte had such a strong Pokémon!"

Niko smirked. "Wait until you see her Tyranitar in action. Those two are possibly her strongest from our adventures in Kalos."

"Delphox, use psybeam!" Charlotte commanded.

"Liquidation!" Aaron shouted. Toxapex charged towards Delphox, shifting around the psybeam before charging at the fox. In response, Delphox used flame charge and, being faster, hit Toxapex first. "Now, baneful bunker!"

"What?"

Delphox roared out in pain as she collapsed to her knees. She started to glow a light purple color. She was poisoned.

"Liquidation!" Aaron commanded. Toxapex thrust its spiky body again at Delphox, knocking her to the ground.

"Delphox!" Charlotte shouted, "Get up! Get up!" she looked up to see Aaron then ask Toxapex to use venoshock—which got stronger if the target was already poisoned. "PSYSHOCK!"

Delphox, still laying on her back, lifted up her twig and twirled it, sending psychically-charged objects at her opponent, interrupting the venoshock. Charlotte took a breath of relief, watching Delphox slowly make her way back to her feet. She was exhausted now, from the head injuries from ice punch, to the poison coursing through her system.

"Liquidation!" Aaron commanded.

"Wait for it…" Charlotte said calmly. Delphox nodded, getting into a fighting stance. "NOW! Use psybeam!"

Delphox waited until Toxapex was close enough that it couldn't evade and fired a blast of psychic energy from the tip of her twig, striking the Brutal Star Pokémon and rocketing it backwards. Toxapex crumpled onto the ground. As did Delphox. Both were breathing hard; both trying to get back up. They did and, at the same time, charged at one another.

"Liquidation!"

"Flame charge!"

Toxapex and Delphox collided in the middle of the field, water and fire meeting. A heavy cloud of steam erupted around them, causing the Pokémon to briefly disappear.

Then, as soon as the judge could see them, he made a declaration.

"Toxapex and Delphox are both unable to battle! Aaron and Charlotte will now use their third and second Pokémon, respectively!"

"Return," they said simultaneously. Charlotte smiled: she had the advantage now. "Mudsdale, you're up!" she shouted, throwing a pokéball from her belt onto the field.

"Bewear, I choose you!" Aaron said. The Pokémon replacing Toxapex was a large stuffed bear. It was primarily black and pink, with its legs and front of its body black, while its head, back, and tail were pink. Across the top of its head was a white band with two tufts of fur on each end, giving it the appearance of wearing a headband with decorative bear ears.

" _Bewear, the Strong Arm Pokémon. Normal and fighting type. It boasts tremendous physical strength. Many people call it the most dangerous Pokémon in the Alola region_ ," Rotomdex said, surprised by its own dex entry.

"Strongest Pokémon…?" Niko asked, "Really?"

" _Looks are deceiving_ ," Rotomdex said.

"Mudsdale, high horsepower!" Charlotte shouted. The Draft Horse Pokémon charged down the battlefield, galloping as fast as he could. In response, Bewear crouched low to the ground before leaping into the air, causing Mudsdale to come to a halt. "What?"

"Hammer arm!" Aaron commanded. Bewear landed on top of Mudsdale and slammed its arm into his back. Mudsdale roared out in pain as he collapsed to the ground.

Charlotte blinked. This Pokémon was far more powerful than Mega Lopunny—the Pokémon that defeated her last time. Suddenly she began to worry.

"Mudsdale…we can do this…" she said, gulping. "Use mega kick!"

Mudsdale slowly got back up, turned around, and kicked Bewear powerfully with his hind legs. The Strong Arm Pokémon stumbled backwards before charging back at Mudsdale. The Draft Horse Pokémon spun around, only to meet another hammer arm, this time slamming into his face and slamming him to the ground.

"No!"

"Superpower, Bewear!" Aaron commanded. Bewear crouched down and lifted Mudsdale—a very heavy Pokémon—into the air and slammed him back down, eliciting a groan from the Draft Horse Pokémon. "And finish it off with hammer arm!"

The Strong Arm Pokémon slammed its fist back down on Mudsdale, defeating it.

"Mudsdale is unable to battle, Bewear is the winner! Charlotte will now use her final Pokémon!"

"Return," Charlotte said, now worried. Her last Pokémon was at a severe disadvantage. She couldn't possibly win against that… _thing_. "Tyranitar, I choose you!"

"Wait…what?" Warren said, leaning forward. "You're kidding."

"Charlotte can do it," Kaila said. "After all, that Tyranitar is her strongest, right? It can also mega evolve!"

Niko nodded. Warren was right to be shocked, but he had just as much faith as Kaila did. Charlotte would win this.

"Again?" Aaron asked with surprise. "Just like last time. Tyranitar versus my fighting type. Let's see how well this goes. Bewear, use hammer arm!"

"Earthquake!" Charlotte said. Tyranitar aggressively shook the ground underneath him, causing Bewear to stumble, albeit briefly. "Now, rock slide!" she commanded, trying to slow down Bewear as much as she could. Soon enough she realized that it was working. She might be able to do this.

Bewear finally came up on Tyranitar and slammed its fist forward. The Armor Pokémon, despite his small hands, managed to grab onto it, holding it in place and halting all of its momentum. Then, on Charlotte's command, Tyranitar headbutted Bewear using iron head, knocking the latter backwards.

"Dark pulse!" Charlotte shouted. Tyranitar opened his mouth and released a dark, swirling nexus of energy at Bewear, knocking him to the ground.

Bewear slowly got back up, this time in shock. It was clear that the Strong Arm Pokémon had never taken a hit like that before. However, it didn't matter, as its trainer lifted up his Z-ring to reveal Fightinium-Z sitting inside.

"Bewear! Use All-Out Pummeling!" he shouted. Bewear, now enveloped by Z-energy, thrusted several small, orange blasts of energy in the shape of fists at Tyranitar, who had never felt that kind of energy before. Once the attack finished, Tyranitar fell to his knees, panting heavily. "All it takes is one hit. Well, Charlotte, looks like I'm going to win. And after I beat you, I'm going to beat Niko and become the Champion of Alola. Then I'll finally earn your respect."

Charlotte, unexpectedly, giggled in response, which seemed to unnerve Aaron. "Heh, not a chance buddy. Tyranitar, mega evolve!"

She gripped her Key Stone, causing it to shine. Energy transferred between her and Tyranitar through long tendrils of light, causing the Armor Pokémon to change form. Now, she lifted her Z-ring.

"Let's see if this works, Tyranitar! Use Tectonic Rage!" Once more transferring energy towards Mega Tyranitar, the Armor Pokémon then buried into the ground.

Aaron blinked in surprise. How could she do that? Use a mega stone _and_ a Z-move at the same time? It didn't seem to matter, as it was now a reality. However, he was too distracted by the unexpected move from his rival that Bewear was fired into the air by Mega Tyranitar's attack.

"Rock slide!" Charlotte shouted passionately. Tyranitar conjured dozens of rocks above his opponent, bringing them all down while Bewear was still in mid-air. The Strong Arm Pokémon collapsed into the ground under the pile of rocks. "And finish it off with dark pulse!"

Mega Tyranitar shot a nexus of dark energy at Bewear, who was no longer able to move as a result.

"Bewear is unable to battle, Tyranitar is the winner! The victory goes to Charlotte from Castelia City!" the judge declared.

Charlotte let out a heavy breath. She was exhausted as well. Not like Niko when he used mega evolution, but the thrill of it all, and the use of two different types of energy was exhausting. Tyranitar turned to her, reverting back to his prior form and collapsing from exhaustion. She slowly made her way to her Pokémon.

"Got 'em," she said happily, sitting next to Tyranitar. They sat there for a moment before being told to leave the battlefield in preparation for the next battle.

* * *

Niko hugged Charlotte tightly as she returned to the stands. He didn't say anything, as his friends and family were more curious than he was. Plus, he'd have all of the time to talk with her later. He had to mentally prepare for his own battle.

"How'd you do it!?" Warren asked in reference to her combination of energies. Charlotte simply shook her head.

"I…don't know. It just felt like the right thing to do, I guess."

Realizing she didn't have much else to say on the subject, the group turned to watch Melinda's battle. She seemed to easily take down her opponent with her Arcanine, Oricorio, and Kommo-o. The last Pokémon surprised Niko—he didn't know that kind of Pokémon could be caught, as he had only seen one prior to this battle.

Eventually, it was his turn. He stood up, left the stands, and proceeded down to the battlefield. He felt confident, both in himself and in his Pokémon, that they could win this. His opponent, a tall black-haired man with a beanie, smirked as he stood on the opposite end of the dirt battlefield from Niko.

"And now we have a battle between Niko from Pallet Town and Ryan from Malie City!" Kukui announced. The judge explained the rules and, within moments, the battle was on.

"Porygon-Z, you're up!" Ryan shouted.

"Slurpuff, I choose you!" Niko said, summoning the Meringue Pokémon. "Use cotton guard!"

"Discharge!" Ryan commanded. The Virtual Pokémon charged up yellow sparks of electricity before releasing it in every direction. It struck Slurpuff, who managed to hold her own with the cotton armor she created. "Tri attack!"

"Psychic!" Niko commanded. Porygon-Z summoned three spheres—one red, one yellow, and one blue—and fired them at Slurpuff. In response, her eyes began to glow a light purple color and she quickly took control of them, sending them back towards Porygon-Z. The collision resulted in an explosion that knocked the Virtual Pokémon out of the air and onto the ground. "Now, play rough!" he shouted. Slurpuff charged at her opponent, ready to beat it up.

In retaliation, Porygon-Z attempted to fire a zap cannon. The inaccuracy of the move forced it to wildly miss Slurpuff, who leapt into the air before body-slamming the Virtual Pokémon. She got back up and began to throw Porygon-Z around, slamming it into the ground, punching and kicking it, and the like.

"Finish it off with dazzling gleam!" Niko commanded. Slurpuff released a bright pink light that enveloped the area around them. However, just as the attack damaged Porygon-Z, the Virtual Pokémon released a discharge of electrical energy that shot Slurpuff backwards.

"Porygon-Z is unable to battle, Slurpuff is the winner!" the judge declared, "Ryan will now use his second Pokémon!"

"Palossand, I choose you!" Ryan shouted, summoning a large creature in the form of a sandcastle. "Use sandstorm!"

"Slurpuff, can you still see?" Niko asked. Slurpuff nodded, albeit weakly. "Alright, use dazzling gleam again!"

"Palossand, shadow ball!" Ryan commanded. A sphere made of spectral energy fired from the sand castle's mouth, striking Slurpuff just as she conjured the pink light a second time. The force of the shadow ball knocked her backwards. "Earth power!" Ryan shouted. Slurpuff was launched into the air from a vibration directly underneath her. "And now shadow ball again!"

Palossand fired a shadow ball at Slurpuff while she was in midair, causing her to crash into the ground just in front of Niko. She got back up, breathing heavily. "You can do this, buddy. Use cotton guard!"

"Shadow ball!" Ryan commanded. Palossand once again fired an inky black ball at Slurpuff, who took the hit using her cotton guard, but still stumbled backwards. "And now, use Never-Ending Nightmare!" he said, holding up a Z-ring.

Long, dark tendrils from underneath the ground shot out and enveloped Slurpuff, quickly sapping her of her energy. The attack finished almost as soon as it began, causing the Meringue Pokémon to collapse forward in exhaustion.

"Slurpuff is unable to battle, Palossand is the winner!" the judge declared. "Niko will now use his second Pokémon!"

"Lampent, I choose you!" Niko shouted. He knew that he was sort of at an advantage, but also sort of not. It wasn't going to be an easy match, that's for sure. But he felt confident. "Use will-o-wisp!"

"Shadow ball!" Ryan commanded. The light balls of fire floated around the shadow ball and struck Palossand, leaving a spectral burn on its side. Meanwhile, Lampent took the hit and floated backwards from the force of it. However, she knew what Niko's strategy was for this.

"HEX!" Niko commanded. Lampent moved her black, curved arms around to conjure an inky black and purple sphere, firing it forward at an incredible speed. It struck Palossand directly in the mouth, causing the Sand Castle Pokémon to roar out. "And again!"

"Earth power!" Ryan shouted, but it was too late. The hex struck again, hitting Palossand just as it shook the ground underneath it. Lampent managed to float high enough that the earth power didn't affect her. Palossand, meanwhile, was unable to battle.

"Return," Ryan said.

"Return as well," Niko said, "and good job, buddy. Serperior, I choose you!"

"Hariyama, you're up!" Ryan shouted, summoning a familiar Pokémon to face off against Niko and his large, green serpent. "Use heavy slam!"

"Coil, Serperior," Niko said calmly. His calmness belied how he actually felt: he was battling alongside Serperior again, a Pokémon that meant a lot to him personally. He watched her curl up, watching Hariyama as it charged down the battlefield, preparing to leap into the air to body slam her. Once the Arm Thrust Pokémon did so, as expected, Serperior acted, uncurling herself and slithering out of the way before turning around, leaping into the air in a massive show of strength, somersaulted, and struck Hariyama in the back with leaf blade. The fighting type crashed into the ground, causing the earth underneath it to shake. "Well done, buddy!" Niko shouted, throwing a fist into the air.

Serperior nodded happily. She too felt good. Not just being around Niko but getting to battle with her trainer again.

Hariyama slowly got back up and, on Ryan's command, thrust its palm out, taking control of Serperior and throwing her with force palm. The Arm Thrust Pokémon then charged again at the Regal Pokémon, who spun around to create a leaf tornado that halted its advances.

"Coil on Hariyama!" Niko commanded. Serperior, with unprecedented speed, slithered up to her opponent and wrapped herself around it. "Now, use giga drain!"

Hariyama cried out as its energy was swiftly sapped from it by Serperior. Once she was finished, she rolled to the side and, then jumping into the air, unfurled herself and threw Hariyama onto the ground.

"Finish it off with leaf blade!" Niko commanded. Serperior spun through the air sideways before slashing at the Arm Thrust Pokémon with the tip of her tail.

"Hariyama is unable to battle, Serperior is the winner! The victory goes to Niko from Pallet Town!" the judge declared.

"Great job," Niko said, petting Serperior's head as she nuzzled him. "It's good to see you again.

In the Champion's Box, Kukui sat back, looking behind him to see Hau's reaction. "He's strong."

"Yeah, he is," Hau said.

"Think you'll have an opponent this time?"

Hau shrugged. "You never really know. Strong trainers are unbeatable."

Kukui nodded. "You're absolutely correct."

* * *

Niko, Charlotte, and their friends and family watched the remainder of the matches, particularly Kaila's match against a trainer from Paniola Town. That was also when they saw Splintered Storm Shards for the first time. Niko watched in awe as their rival swiftly defeated an opponent with the move.

In the aftermath of her win, the pairings for the third round were announced. Once again, Niko and Charlotte, along with Melinda and Kaila, were against trainers they didn't recognize. Niko only recognized him as the guy with spiky white and red hair. He had seen this trainer battle previously, and only saw him use dragon type Pokémon.

He sat back in his seat. The next round wouldn't begin for a few hours, so he had some time to plan his team. Niko then felt a hand touch his shoulder. Looking to his side, he saw Charlotte staring at him.

"Oh, hey," he said with a smile. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, I think we should eat something before the next round."

As they got up, JJ and the others looked at one another. "They just made it to the Top 8 together and they're acting like everything is normal!"

Brittany nodded in agreement. "I remember when making it to the Top 8 was a big deal for Niko. Now it's just assumed, I guess."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Yeah, the rivalry with Aaron was kind of meh. To be honest, I don't really know why I included him in this season other than to show how much stronger Charlotte got after losing to him the first time. Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed the episode!**

 **A** **close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on the sister site to this one. If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	49. Dragon Tamer Ryuki

**Episode 49: Dragon tamer Ryuki**

"Welcome to the third round of the Lanakila Conference!" Professor Kukui declared. "Just a few hours ago, trainers and their Pokémon used some rad moves to make their way to the Quarterfinals! Now, in another half-battle, these eight trainers will face off against one another to see who will make it to the semifinals!

"In our first match, we have Kaila from Hau'oli City versus Keelani from Iki Town!"

"Go Kaila!" Niko shouted from the audience before sitting back.

"She seems strong," Jake observed as Kaila's Lycanroc took down Keelani's Alolan Muk. "How did you guys meet her?"

"Just by traveling," Niko explained, remembering the day he, Charlotte, and Warren found Kaila training with Ruffy near Hau'oli City. "She's become a really good friend of ours."

"And a _huge_ fan of Niko and Charlotte's," Warren said, edging towards Jake and speaking in a whisper loud enough for his friends to hear. "What? You know it's true!" he said when Niko shot him a glare.

"Woah!" Sydney exclaimed. "Her Ninetales…it looks different."

" _Bzzzt…they all look different in Alola,_ " Rotomdex corrected.

"It's strong, too," Niko said, noting how it almost took down Keelani's Salamence before Lycanroc finished it off.

Before they knew it, Kaila had won and was advancing to the semifinals. If all went well, then Niko or Charlotte might get to battle her. Now, it was Niko's turn. He left the stands, walking down the stairs. As he did, he noticed Kaila running up them—or limping, rather.

"Niko! I did it!" she exclaimed.

"I'm very proud of you, Kaila," he said, patting her head. "I hope you do well in the semifinals!"

"Yeah! Maybe we get to battle?"

"Maybe," Niko said with a half-smile.

"Well…good luck!" she said before continuing up the stairs. Niko nodded, and continued his descent.

"And now we have Niko from Pallet Town versus Ryuki from Vermilion City!" Kukui declared.

 _Another guy from Kanto?_ Niko thought to himself. He looked across the battlefield—now themed, this particular one being a grass field—at his opponent. He was shorter than Niko and had spiky red and white hair. The white spikes went down over his face, and the red ones protruded upwards. He wore an all-red suit with yellow markings on the sides and a thin cape that hung to his left. Each boot had two spikes, and each arm had four. Niko thought the costume was a bit of an overkill.

"HEY!" Ryuki shouted from across the battlefield. "Nice to see another dude from Kanto!"

"Same here," Niko responded. He didn't want to shout back and forth. "I'm actually from Vermilion City originally. I was born there!"

Ryuki nodded, approvingly. "Have you heard of my music? I'm what you might call a star!" he said, dropping hiss guitar case and striking a pose. "I came all the way across the sea to Alola to spread my fame! And, while I'm at it, why not be the best in two worlds?"

Niko raised an eyebrow. This guy was so full of himself.

"Anyway," he turned to the judge, who was clearly waiting for him to stop talking. The judge explained the rules of the match, then allowing the two of them to begin their battle. "My babies are dying to play a set, so let's get rocking! Turtonator, I choose you!"

 _Turtonator_? Niko asked as he looked at the odd-looking Pokémon standing in front of Ryuki. It was a bipedal, turtle-like Pokémon with a spiny shell. Its skin is a greenish-gray and only visible on its limbs, tail, head, and neck. On top of its head is and additional shell with many points around the brim. This extra shell has a black center, yellow in the middle, and a red outer rim. Its eyes have black markings around the bottom, and it has a tubular, yellow snout with a single, large nostril. Most of its tail is covered by red plating, which had fin-like projections. The shell that encases most of its body had a red underside with a star-shaped, yellow-rimmed hole in the center. The back of the shell had a yellow center with several, brownish-black spikes. Four large spines with red bases formed a star-shape in the center with four smaller spikes around them.

" _Turtonator, the Blast Turtle Pokémon. Fire and dragon type. It lives in volcanoes and eats sulfur and other minerals. Materials from the food it eats form the basis of its explosive shell_ ," Rotomdex explained.

"Druddigon, I choose you!" Niko shouted. He had brought a few extra Pokémon along with him to give him some options. Druddigon seemed to be the best choice for this. "Dragon claw!"

"Dragon pulse!" Ryuki commanded. Turtonator stood up high before firing off a powerful burst of draconic energy at Druddigon. The Cave Pokémon dove to the side, landing in the grass, before scrambling back up and successfully slashing at Turtonator's front side with dragon claw. "Dragon pulse again, baby!"

"Superpower!" Niko shouted. Druddigon, before his opponent could fire the dragon pulse, bent down and began lifting Turtonator up. The Blast Turtle Pokémon was, to be sure, incredibly heavy, but not nearly as much as some other Pokémon, and Druddigon managed to get it into the air and thrust it into the ground. In the process, dragon pulse missed. "Dragon claw again!"

"Fire blast!" Ryuki shouted. This time the attack succeeded, blasting Druddigon several yards backwards, causing him to crash in the grass. "Now, dragon pulse!"

Druddigon managed to get back up, as Turtonator was having difficulty getting off of its back. However, it did managed to point its tubular snout at Druddigon and fire another dragon pulse, this time hitting the Cave Pokémon and forcing it to the ground a second time.

"You got this, Druddigon," Niko said calmly. "You're the stronger dragon, remember that. Now, use dragon claw!"

"DRUD!" Druddigon roared out, charging down the battlefield towards Turtonator, his claws glowing a bright purple. He leapt into the air, spun around, and quickly descended onto the Blast Turtle Pokémon, who used overheat at the last moment, causing an explosion that launched Druddigon high into the air.

"Druddigon!" Niko shouted. Then, the Cave Pokémon came to a halt in midair, using his wings to keep him afloat. Niko smirked. _Yeah, you're tougher than that_. "Finish it off with dragon tail!"

"DRUDDDD!" Druddigon roared as he quickly descended, somersaulting downwards as his rough tail began to shine a dark purple. Turtonator used dragon pulse, but Druddigon managed to rip through it and slam his tail onto Turtonator's underbelly, decisively ending the battle.

"Turtonator is unable to battle, Druddigon is the winner!" the judge declared. "Ryuki will now use his second Pokémon!"

"Drampa, baby, you're up!" he shouted ecstatically, summoning a very familiar Pokémon to Niko.

 _We know how to handle these types…_ "Druddigon, use superpower!"

"Blizzard!" Ryuki commanded. Niko and Druddigon stopped, eyes wide. The Placid Pokémon roared out, summoning a powerful gust of cold air and snow from behind it. Druddigon roared from the pain of the attack, trying to take steps forward through the blizzard.

"You can do this!" Niko shouted. "Keep moving!"

Druddigon tried to but collapsed forward. Ryuki commanded Drampa to use thunder, which ultimately finished off Druddigon.

"Druddigon is unable to battle, Drampa is the winner!" the judge declared. "Niko will now use his second Pokémon!"

"Hitmonchan, you're up!" Niko said. "It's been a while, you been practicing?" He asked one of his first Pokémon. Hitmonchan turned to him, raised a red glove, and nodded. "Excellent. Let's go, then. "Use sky uppercut!"

"Thunder!" Ryuki commanded.

"Switch to mega punch!" Niko shouted. Hitmonchan simply raised his fist into the air, absorbing the thunder using mega punch's inherent power. "Well done! Now, use that energy to strike at Drampa!"

Warren's eyes widened. "Wow…he can do that?" Jake simply nodded in response. He knew, better than anyone (save Niko) of the things his brother's Pokémon have been working on. Using mega punch to absorb an elemental attack was one of them. "I didn't think that was possible."

"Neither did I. But in a way it sort of makes sense."

Hitmonchan charged at Drampa, at a speed Niko didn't seem to recognize. It made him wonder why he didn't use the Punching Pokémon in other leagues. He slammed his electrified, gloved fist into Drampa's face which, Niko knew, pissed off the Placid Pokémon. Drampa roared loudly in Hitmonchan's face. Surprisingly enough, it hardly phased the fighting type.

"Use sky uppercut!" Niko commanded. Hitmonchan thrust another gloved fist upwards, slamming it into Drampa's chin, further pissing off the dragon, who shot a dragon pulse directly into Hitmonchan's face, forcing him into the ground. Niko grit his teeth. That was a strong attack, and Hitmonchan didn't have the best endurance. If he wanted to win, he needed to win quickly. "Mega punch!"

"Blizzard!" Ryuki commanded, quickly realizing his mistake.

"Mega punch!" Niko shouted. Hitmonchan thrust his fist forward, absorbing parts of the blizzard (while still taking damage from it) to create ice punch. He then jabbed Drampa in the chest before following up with sky uppercut, hitting Drampa in the chin a second time. The Placid Pokémon roared in pain before leaning forward and roaring again, only louder and directly in Hitmonchan's face, causing the Punching Pokémon to stumble backwards.

"THUNDER!" Ryuki roared as well. Drampa fired a lightning bolt from above, only for Hitmonchan to dodge. His hearing was certainly damaged, and he could barely hear Niko's commands at this point. So, he attacked on his own, charging at the Placid Pokémon and throwing a final sky uppercut into Drampa's chin, knocking the dragon backwards in defeat.

"Drampa is unable to battle, Hitmonchan is the winner!" the judge declared. "Ryuki will now use his final Pokémon!"

"Great job, Hitmonchan!" Niko shouted as loud as he could, by now realizing that the Punching Pokémon couldn't hear him very well.

"Garchomp, baby, let's go!" Ryuki shouted excitedly, summoning the familiar-looking land shark. "Use Poison jab!"

"Mega punch!" Niko shouted. Hitmonchan, now severely weakened, got into a defensive stance and thrust punch after punch at Garchomp, shifting left and right to avoid the constant barrage of poison jabs. Eventually, Garchomp slammed a claw into the side of the fighting type's head, knocking him down.

"Earthquake!" Ryuki commanded. Garchomp aggressively shook the ground, roaring as it did so. Hitmonchan, lacking the energy to get back up, lay there in defeat.

"Hitmonchan is unable to battle, Garchomp is the winner!" the judge declared. "Niko will now use his third and final Pokémon!"

"Return, you did great Hitmonchan," Niko said, looking at his third pokéball. "I believe in you. Sceptile, I choose you!"

"Sceptile?" Warren asked. "Interesting choice."

In the stands, Melinda raised an eyebrow.

"Woah! He has a Sceptile?" Kaila exclaimed. "That's awesome!"

"Sceptile, you ready buddy?" Niko asked to the Forest Pokémon. "Let's go! Use dragon claw!"

"Poison jab!" Ryuki commanded. The two Pokémon met in the middle of the field, slashing and punching at one another. Sceptile's claws had a dark purple aura around them; Garchomp's a light purple. Each one took a hit from the other before both took a step back to stare the other down. "Use crunch!"

"Leaf storm!" Niko commanded. Sceptile spun around, creating a massive vortex of leaves that emitted from his leafy tail, which halted Garchomp in its place. "Now, use leaf blade!"

"Poison jab!" Ryuki shouted as Sceptile got within striking distance. Garchomp ducked and stabbed the Forest Pokémon in the chest, rocketing Sceptile back into the air at an angle. "And dragon claw, baby!"

The Mach Pokémon rocketed after its opponent, slashing at Sceptile and sending it crashing into the grass field. Once Garchomp landed, Ryuki pulled out a Z-ring.

"This is it! Your solo, Garchomp! Use Devastating Drake!"

Niko had to think quickly. _What if…yes!_ "Sceptile!" he also held a Z-ring, quickly inserting a Dragonium-Z. "Wanna try it out, too?" Sceptile nodded, just as the Z-energy was transferring to Ryuki's Garchomp. Niko quickly performed the Z-moves necessary, giving Sceptile the energy he needed.

Then Garchomp released the massive purple aura in the shape of a dragon, sending it flying across the battlefield. Just before it struck Sceptile, the latter fired off his own. The collision created a massive purple explosion that knocked Sceptile to the ground, and nearly hit Garchomp.

"Sceptile!" Niko shouted. Once the smoke cleared, he saw the Forest Pokémon standing up again, ready to continue. "That's it. Let's go!"

"Garchomp!" Ryuki shouted, clearly upset now. "Use earthquake!"

"FRENZY PLANT!" Niko roared, thrusting his hand out. Sceptile nodded, roaring as well as he ripped up large, spiked roots from the ground and sent them all in Garchomp's direction before the Mach Pokémon could use earthquake. The roots slammed and slapped at Garchomp mercilessly, forcing it into the ground and, moments later, in defeat.

"Garchomp is unable to battle, Sceptile is the winner! The victory goes to Niko from Pallet Town!"

Sceptile turned to Niko and saluted him before returning to his pokéball.

Niko was about to turn and leave when he heard Ryuki approaching him. Turning around, he saw a gloved hand outstretched towards him.

"Great battle, bro," Ryuki said. "It isn't easy defeating a dragon tamer."

Niko clasped it. "You're definitely right. I always have difficulty defeating dragon types. Explains why I only have two of them, I suppose."

"Anyway, I wish you luck. The other trainers here look tough."

"I know—I happen to know most of them," Niko said with a wink.

* * *

Melinda was the next trainer Niko recognized. She didn't seem to have as much difficulty as he had against Ryuki, but enough difficulty to make it interesting to watch. After she won, Niko realized he could very well be battling one of his rivals in the semifinals—as he was wont to do, apparently.

Charlotte was the final battle of the round, and of the day. Right before Melinda's battle ended, she got up and left the stands to face her opponent, some woman named Karen. She had in mind a set of Pokémon she wanted to use, simply for the sake of battling with them. Tyranitar and Delphox were exhausted from their previous battle, and if she won this upcoming one she wanted her others to be ready to go in what might be a very difficult semifinal battle.

The winners of the battles so far was what intrigued her the most. Kaila, Niko, and now Melinda. If she won, the final two rounds would be almost _too_ interesting. All of them would be full battles, too, with powerful Pokémon on all sides.

"And now we have Karen from Lumiose City versus Charlotte from Castelia City!" Kukui declared. "This will be the final battle in the quarterfinals round. The winner here will join Kaila, Niko, and Melinda in the semifinals!"

The judge explained the rules of the match before giving each side permission to begin. Charlotte sent out Gogoat; Karen summoned a Primeape.

"Close combat!" Karen shouted in a nasally tone. She was short with had red-hair and freckles on her face. The Pig Monkey Pokémon charged at the large, leafy goat owned by Charlotte, and proceeded to kick and punch at him. In response, Gogoat thrust out one of his vines to use leaf blade, slashing and whipping Primeape.

"Razor leaf!" Charlotte shouted. The sharp green leaves struck Primeape in the chest, knocking it backwards. "And use seed bomb!"

"Primeape, cross chop!" Karen commanded. The Pig Monkey Pokémon charged forward once again, both of its hands glowing brightly. It slashed at Gogoat's face; the Mount Pokémon retaliated with seed bomb to the face, causing an explosion that rocketed both of them backwards and in opposite directions.

"Seed bomb again!" Charlotte commanded. Gogoat bleated loudly, summoning several more small green spheres from around him and firing them, one by one, at Primeape. The Pig Monkey Pokémon used close combat to block most of them before charging back to use outrage, as Karen commanded. "Razor leaf!"

In its rage, Primeape refused to dodge the oncoming flurry of leaves, taking the hits from several of them before collapsing to the ground in defeat.

"Primeape is unable to battle, Gogoat is the winner!" the judge declared, "Karen will now use her second Pokémon!"

"Gothitelle, I choose you!" she shouted. "Use future sight!"

"Seed bomb!" Charlotte shouted in retaliation. Gothitelle didn't directly attack—it sent electrically-charged objects into wormholes above it. Meanwhile, it took the seed bombs, which didn't seem to move the tall, primarily black Pokémon. However, Charlotte and Gogoat noticed it did wince. "That's it! Use razor leaf!"

"Psychic!" Karen commanded. Gothitelle's eyes began to glow purple and the leaves quickly changed direction, turning back towards Gogoat and striking him with his own attack. "Psyshock!"

 _We need to get closer…ranged attacks won't work_ , Charlotte thought to herself. "Use vine whip!"

Gogoat fired off two vines from both sides of his body to strike at Gothitelle. Just like before, the Astral Body Pokémon used psychic to manipulate them and fire then back. However, Gogoat responded by blocking his own attack with leaf blade. He then charged forward to repeat the attack, only with the intent of doing damage this time.

"Now!" Charlotte shouted. Gogoat leapt into the air, a blade forming just in front of him, ready to strike.

 _Boom_.

The future sight struck, hitting Gogoat in the back and electrifying him, causing him to crash into the concrete floor of the battlefield. Panting heavily, he was thrown backwards by Gothitelle's psychic, which finally defeated him.

"Gogoat is unable to battle, Gothitelle is the winner!" the judge declared. "Charlotte will now use her second Pokémon!"

"Lapras, I choose you!" Charlotte shouted, summoning the Transport Pokémon. "Use rain dance!"

"Gothitelle, future sight!" Karen commanded. Once more, electrically-charged objects were thrown into wormholes above the battlefield.

"Ice shard!" Charlotte commanded. She didn't like having to use ranged-moves, but this was likely her best option. However, she was lucky enough that the shards struck at Gothitelle quickly enough for the Astral Body Pokémon to not retaliate with psychic. Instead, it response with psyshock. "Again!" she commanded, and Lapras fired off more shards of ice that blocked the psyshock. "Ice beam!"

"Psychic!" Karen commanded. This time, Gothitelle couldn't throw the attack back; instead, the psychic type halted the move completely, directly in front of her.

"Water pulse!" While the ice beam stood in limbo, Lapras shot a pulsating water orb at Gothitelle, striking it and disrupting the psychic attack, allowing ice beam to hit it as well. Gothitelle stumbled backwards, now furious.

"Double team," Karen said with a smirk. Gothitelle duplicated itself into at least a dozen copies, making it difficult for Charlotte and Lapras to find the right one. The rain wasn't exactly helping.

"Ice shard!" Charlotte shouted. Lapras conjured and fired dozens of small shards of ice at the copies, all of them using psychic to block it. "Now, mow them down with ice beam!"

"Psyshock!" Karen commanded. Just then, Charlotte saw the wormholes open up.

"MOVE!" she cried out. Lapras looked up, noticing the wormholes expanding. In response, she moved to the left, causing them to crash into the ground, little explosions bursting through the concrete.

Charlotte sighed a breath of relief. Looking up, she saw Gothitelle still there. Was it worth it to try a Z-move? Would Gothitelle be able to evade it? It was entirely possible, she thought, as it had been done before.

 _Let's take the risk_ , Charlotte thought. "Lapras! Use Hydro Vortex!" she shouted, thrusting her Z-ring into the air before performing the poses necessary to use it. The energy transferred to the Transport Pokémon, who felt a surge of power before whipping up a vortex around Gothitelle. She used her excellent swimming skills to rocket forward and crash into the Astral Body Pokémon, ramming her opponent against the walls multiple times before the attack finished, leaving a defeated Gothitelle on its back.

"Gothitelle is unable to battle, Lapras is the winner!" the judge declared, "Karen will now use her third and final Pokémon!"

"Gourgeist, I choose you!" Karen commanded, summoning the familiar-looking Pumpkin Pokémon. "Use seed bomb!"

"Block it with ice beam!" Charlotte commanded. That Gothitelle might've been Karen's strongest Pokémon. She could handle a Gourgeist, no problem.

Lapras and Gourgeist took turns exchanging moves, generally blocking one another's. All the while, the Pumpkin Pokémon floated around the battlefield, trying to find a way to get around the ice type moves of the Transport Pokémon.

"Shadow ball!" Karen shouted, now exasperated. Lapras blocked it with water pulse. "That's it! Use phantom force!" she ordered, almost angrily.

"Lapras…wait…" Charlotte said as they looked around. "Just…wait…"

"Now!"

Gourgeist came from behind, crashing its massive body into Lapras before using seed bomb, hitting the Transport Pokémon's neck. Lapras wailed out, trying to crane her neck to see her opponent. Gourgeist them reappeared in front of her, and Karen held up her Z-ring.

"Bloom Doom!" she shouted, also using poses to transfer energy. A massive beam of solar energy shot into the air, spreading flowers and the like everywhere. That same beam then shot down directly on top of Lapras, quickly defeating her.

"Lapras is unable to battle, Gourgeist is the winner! Charlotte will now use her third and final Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Sawsbuck, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning the Season Pokémon, white fur covering his torso, hooves, and antlers. "Winter looks good on you, by the way."

Sawsbuck turned and nodded to his trainer with a smile. They then glared at Gourgeist, who's moves were limited due to Sawsbuck's normal type. Charlotte commanded him to use faint attack and, within moments, he disappeared. A panicked Karen looked around, worried about how damaging this blow will be to her Pokémon, who was at a disadvantage to moves like faint attack.

Sawsbuck reappeared behind the Pumpkin Pokémon, catching it in his antlers. "Use horn leech!" Charlotte shouted. The white antlers began to glow a light green as energy transferred from Gourgeist to Sawsbuck. He threw his opponent to the ground and fired an energy ball at it, causing a small explosion.

Charlotte waited. As did Karen. Gourgeist wasn't doing anything—at all.

Suddenly, Gourgeist exploded, knocking Sawsbuck off of his feet and backwards into the air. Whether or not he survived this attack would determine if Charlotte won the match, or if it ended in a tie.

Fortunately, Sawsbuck landed on his feet, albeit panting. He looked down at Gourgeist, who was no longer moving.

"Gourgeist is unable to battle, Sawsbuck is the winner! The victory goes to Charlotte from Castelia City!"

Sawsbuck galloped over to Charlotte before nuzzling her. They did it. They made it to the semifinals!

"…wow," Warren said, eyes wide. "You guys know what that means, right?" everyone turned to him. "We know everyone in the Top 4."

"We do. Me, Charlotte, Melinda, and Kaila," Niko said. He was happy that he knew each of his potential opponents. However, he really didn't want to battle Charlotte, and for two reasons: Niko didn't want to win against her, and he didn't want to lose against her.

* * *

"Wow! Would you look at that, ladies and gentlemen!" Kukui shouted as he revealed the final four on the massive monitor nearby. "We're already at the semifinals! Here they are: Niko, Melinda, Charlotte, and Kaila! And now, without further ado, let's reveal the two matches that will start tomorrow!"

The four profiles flipped and moved around briefly before flipping back, revealing the two pairings. Niko let out a breath of fresh air, but only for a moment when he realized it wasn't Charlotte.

It was Melinda.

"Niko vs. Melinda, and Charlotte vs. Kaila," Warren read on the screen. "That'll be fun to watch!"

* * *

 **Author's Note: I hope y'all enjoyed these two battles. The one against Ryuki might've been my favorite battle to write so far this season, but there are still so many left! Next episode: Niko vs. Melinda, with Charlotte vs. Kaila being the episode following that one. Who will make it to the finals?**

 **A** **close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on the sister site to this one. If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	50. Tough enough

**Episode 50: Tough enough**

"Well, this should be fun to watch," Kukui said, turning to Hau again. Now he was surrounded by the Elite 4 and Island Kahunas. All of them nodded in agreement.

"Those four, I think, gave me the toughest time," Hapu added. "Whoever wins this conference will have rightly deserved it."

"I look forward to fighting any of those four in battle," Molayne said, pushing up his glasses. Kukui noticed them shining from the orange sunset falling down Mount Lanakila.

"Think any of them will make it to you, Hau?" Kukui said, raising an eyebrow. The now-silent Champion of Alola gave a thoughtful glance to the professor, certainly considering the question.

"Yes. One of them might be able to, I think," he looked up: Kukui was waiting for him to respond. "Niko. I think Niko could beat me. He has the most reserves I've seen from a trainer in a long time. If any of those make it to me, he would have the best shot due to his sheer versatility."

Kukui nodded. "I agree. If any of the other three were as experienced as he was, then I would say the chances of them taking you on would be close to equal. I appreciate Charlotte's passion when she battles; Melinda's thoughtfulness; Kaila's energy. They all have unique traits that make them strong. And you can see it reflected in their Pokémon, and especially in their moves."

"Always with the moves, right Kukui?" Olivia teased. The professor turned to her and nodded with a wink.

"In all seriousness, though, you all are in for a real fight."

* * *

"Melinda, eh?" Jake said as the group gathered for dinner in the stadium's dining hall. "Been a long time since you've seriously battled her."

"And last time you did, you didn't use your reserves," JJ added, his mouth half-full. Niko glared at him curiously. JJ was correct—he had the advantage this time of not just experience, but also variety. "Any idea how you're going to plan out your team?"

Niko shook his head. "Not yet. I know what some of her Pokémon are, but I haven't really given it a lot of thought yet. I certainly want to use some of the Pokémon that I haven't yet. Like Venusaur."

"You're using Venusaur for this battle?" Warren asked. "Wouldn't you use him for the finals?"

"That's not guaranteed, Warren," Niko said, "Melinda is tough—not as tough as, say, Elliot or Oliver, but tough enough. I'm not taking anything she does for granted. If I'm going to win, I need to go all out."

Charlotte eyed Niko with awe. Until now he was merely battling for the sake of it. Now, he was serious. She understood that—more than anyone else at their table—but it was different now that she had progressed as far as he had. She wanted him to win, and to do his best, but she also wanted to win. If they both won…

"Charlotte?" she looked up, apparently getting out of a daze. She noticed Niko looking directly at her. "You alright?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Just fine!" she said with a smile. She knew Niko could see through that, but he didn't press her on it. "I was just thinking about my match with Kaila tomorrow. Trying to figure out who I want to use as well."

"I think you're going to do great," Niko said. "Just remember to watch out for that new Z-move of hers."

"Yeah, and you need to watch out for Oceanic Operetta," Charlotte added, remembering his battle against Melinda at the Ruins of Hope. Her boyfriend nodded. It was a good battle for him and for Incineroar, but not exactly the easiest one to win. He now knew how strong that Primarina actually was. All he had to do was find a way to equal that power.

Later that evening, Niko was outside, training with some of his Pokémon in the snow. He watched Pangoro—one of the Pokémon he has spent the least amount of time with—punching and kicking the air in an attempt to strengthen his reflexes. Niko also had him work on the dodging technique that was so old to Niko that it felt like second nature.

"I know you don't like it, but you have to give it a shot," Niko said to a now-irritable Pangoro. "This will help you if you're up against a faster Pokémon! You have all of the power at your fingertips, but you can't effectively use it if you don't know how to evade an attack!"

"Ready for tomorrow?" A familiar, soft-toned voice said. Niko spun around to see Melinda standing there, adorned by a light gray pea coat and a beanie. "You look ready."

"What makes you say that?" Niko asked curiously. He turned to Pangoro, who shrugged.

"Well, you're training. And that Pangoro looks ready for anything," she said, which made the large panda bear scratch his head nervously. "But…are _you_ ready?" she asked Niko.

"Yeah," Niko said simply and with certainty. He wasn't lying, either—he _felt_ ready. "You?"

"Of course. You're a fun person to battle, Niko. I want to make sure I'm up to snuff when I'm against you. It's important for rivalries."

"I suppose so," Niko said, looking away for a moment. "I'm glad you're my friend, and rival."

"Why do you say that?" she asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"You're a caring person, and you always want to match me, or make sure that I can match you in strength. That's an important trait for any rival. And I've had enough of them to know what to look for in a quality opponent. But I have one question."

"What's that?"

"What's your goal? Your purpose?" Niko asked. "Mine is to be the strongest trainer in the world. Now, Warren wants to open an orphanage in Unova. Charlotte…well, she's still sort of figuring it out, but she wants to be the best trainer that she can be. What about you?"

Melinda looked down at the snow for a moment. While she thought about it, Niko kept thinking about his own goal. He had neglected it for some time—either going through the motions, or only looking at what was directly in front of him. He hardly ever considered the long run—his ultimate goal. Now, that he was a conference champion and slowly becoming more recognized, he needed to consider his larger goal in life, especially as it related to him becoming a powerful trainer.

"Well, for a while I just wanted to see the world more. That's how I met you—venturing out on my own in Hoenn, I met you and your friends. You encouraged me to take on gyms in Hoenn, and so I did. Then we became friends, you liked me, I didn't, I ended up with Nero briefly while travelling through other parts of the world, and that was that. I didn't challenge too many Pokémon Leagues or gyms, but I guess I just wanted to see more of the world. Observe different cultures and all of that. In fact, that's why I came to Alola. The culture here is completely different from, say, Hoenn.

"But as I'm battling more, I realize that maybe I'd like to go get an education. I sort of did before I met you, but I think going back to school would be a solid start for me. Maybe I'll become a Pokémon teacher, and help younger kids understand battling and whatnot, or how to properly care for specific types of Pokémon. I don't know, but after this I think that's where I'll go."

Niko didn't know much about Melinda as far as her hobbies were concerned, or really her passions. His only interactions with her involved their rivalry—battling, comparing progress, that sort of thing. He felt guilty about not knowing much about her personal life, and so he didn't quite know what to say. "That's…awesome, Melinda. I'm really happy for you. Well, happy that you've got a plan."

"Yeah, I am too. What about you? What's next?"

"Oh, I haven't thought that through yet. Eheh. Maybe I'll go visit my brother in Sinnoh, travel with him for a bit, and then figure out my next steps. Otherwise…not sure yet. Still sort of figuring that one out."

"But you want to be the best?"

"Like no one ever was," Niko said. "I might travel to more places and catch other Pokémon, or just settle down somewhere and train with them until an opportunity arises to challenge a Pokémon League or something."

Melinda nodded. "That sounds like something. The future is so uncertain, it helps to have a plan in place," she said. "Anyway, I just wanted to check in on you. See you tomorrow, and good luck."

"Thanks, you too," Niko said, watching her walk away. He turned to Pangoro, who nodded and continued training.

* * *

Meanwhile, Charlotte was sitting in her suite, relaxing with some of her Pokémon. She had trained for a couple of hours already while Niko was relaxing, and they decided to swap. She was laying on her bed with Smeargle when she heard a knock on her door. Getting up, she opened it to see Kaila standing there.

"Hi!" she said.

"Oh, hey Kaila, come on in," Charlotte said, letting in the younger girl. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm ready for tomorrow!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Are you?"

"Yeah, just relaxing for a bit. How do you like your first Pokémon League so far?"

"It's really fun! I can see why Niko does so many of these!"

"Heh, yeah. He's pretty experienced with them," Charlotte said, sitting back down on her bed. "This is my Smeargle, by the way."

"Woah! I've never met one of these before!" she said, shaking the Painting Pokémon's hand.

"She was the first Pokémon I ever caught. Smeargle, this is Kaila. She's one of the friends I met in Alola," Smeargle nodded, waving her tail before sitting back down to watch television. "So…what's up?"

"I was just seeing what you were up to," Kaila said, sitting on the other end of the bed. "I don't have a lot of friends here. It's really you and Niko. Oh, and your friends, too!"

"Well, you're always welcome to hang out with us. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do! I just don't want to be a bother, that's all."

"Hah! You and Niko are very alike. Maybe that's why I think you're so cool," Charlotte said, which made Kaila's eyes sparkle. "Anyway, I really wish you luck tomorrow. I'm not gonna go easy on you, just so you know."

"And neither am I!" Kaila declared. "I'm giving it everything I've got!"

"I wouldn't expect any less," Charlotte said. The two then continued watching television together until Kaila got tired and went back to her room to rest.

* * *

"Welcome to the fourth round of the Lanakila Conference! I'm your host, Kukui, and today we've got two excellent matches for all of you rad dudes and dudettes! The first match will be between Melinda from Littleroot Town and Niko from Pallet Town!"

Niko and Melinda stood on opposite ends of the battlefield, which was a rocky field with massive stones littered around. The judge explained the rules, although Niko and Melinda largely ignored him. Once he have them the green light, they both immediately began.

"Clawitzer, I choose you!"

"Dugtrio, you're up!" Melinda shouted, summoning the Alolan variant of the Mole Pokémon. "Use earthquake!"

"Clawitzer, into the air with water pulse!" Niko shouted. The Howitzer Pokémon arched his claw downwards and shot a powerful wave of water underneath him, launching him high into the air and away from the earthquake. "Now, use water pulse again and follow up with crabhammer!"

"Block it with iron head!" Melinda shouted. Dugtrio attempted to minimize damage from water pulse by, literally, steeling itself. The attack nevertheless hit, but Niko could see it wasn't nearly as effective. "Now use mud bomb!"

"Crabhammer!" Niko commanded. While descending towards the ground, Clawitzer's massive claw started glowing a bright blue color. He ripped through the mud bomb and successfully hit Dugtrio directly on the head with it. "Now, dragon pulse!"

Clawitzer's claw began to pulsate as he released a wave of draconic energy. Dugtrio used dig to evade, unfortunately.

"Wait…" Niko cautioned. He knew it would be difficult to evade this move. Clawitzer didn't usually jump—he needed assistance from his attacks.

Suddenly, Clawitzer felt something hard ripping out of the ground. Dugtrio combined iron head and dig and rocketed the water type high into the air. This, however, was a lifesaver for Niko. This is what he wanted.

"Fire a water pulse down!" Niko shouted. Dugtrio attempted to dig back into the ground, but Clawitzer was faster—he fired a quick water pulse that hit Dugtrio as it was digging into the ground, splashing water everywhere. "Now, crabhammer!"

Clawitzer thrust his claw into the tunnel Dugtrio was making, holding the Mole Pokémon in place. Niko then commanded a final water pulse that blasted his Pokémon—and Melinda's—out of the hole. Only Clawitzer managed to get back up.

"Dugtrio is unable to battle, Clawitzer is the winner!" the judge declared. "Melinda will now use her second Pokémon!"

"Return. Well done, Niko!" Melinda shouted excitedly. "This is already exciting! Passimian, I choose you!"

"Passimian, eh?" Niko muttered. "Clawitzer, return! Pangoro, you're up!" Niko shouted. An unconventional choice, but Niko wanted to see if he could match Melinda, Pokémon for Pokémon, in this case. Plus…he hasn't battled much with Pangoro. "Use swords dance!"

"Heh, I taught it that," Jake said as an aside to Warren and Charlotte who were sitting next to him.

Transparent swords appeared all around Pangoro as he began to roar out loud. Meanwhile, Passimian was throwing around the berry in its hand.

"Close combat!" Melinda commanded.

"Hammer arm!" Niko shouted. Both fighting types charged at one another, clashing in the middle before Passimian was thrown back from the force of hammer arm. "And sky uppercut!"

"Protect!" Melinda shouted. Passimian generated a protective field around itself that blocked the powerful fighting move. "And follow up with thrash!"

"Crunch!" Niko commanded. Pangoro grabbed Passimian's arm—as it was slightly more predictable in its thrashing rage—and bit down _hard_ on the monkey's arm, causing it to screech and slam its berry on Pangoro's head. This now enraged the Daunting Pokémon, and the tow battled it out, back and forth, exchanging punches, kicks, and uppercuts until both stepped back, panting heavily.

 _This is gone on too long_ , Niko thought after seeing these Pokémon at it for several minutes. "Swords dance!" he commanded loudly. Pangoro took another step back and created more swords. This, however, opened him up to a giga impact from Passimian, which slammed him directly in the chest and nearly knocked him over. Pangoro collapsed to one knee but, just as Passimian was backing away, he lunged forward, slamming a hammer arm on the monkey's head.

Both Pokémon collapsed—Pangoro in a forward motion, and Passimian in a backwards one.

"Pangoro and Passimian are both unable to battle! Both trainers will now send out their next Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Return," Melinda said. "Kommo-o, you're up!" she said, sending out an ordinary-sized Scaly Pokémon that was only an inch or so shorter than its trainer.

"Clawitzer, I choose you!" Niko said. Clawitzer had taken _some_ damage, but he was ready to take on a Pokémon like Kommo-o. He was certainly strong enough. "Dragon pulse!"

"Block it with dragon claw!" Melinda commanded. Kommo-o's claws began to glow with a dark purple intensity just as Clawitzer fired a pulsating wave of the same color and intensity. When the two attacks collided, Kommo-o was shoved backwards, but only momentarily. It then opened up its arms and charged directly at Clawitzer.

 _Dammit, he's not the best in hand-to-hand combat, but Kommo-o is_ , Niko thought. "Dragon pulse again!"

This time Kommo-o managed to get hit by the dragon pulse, but it still continued its charge. It, however, changed attacks. This time it used sky uppercut, slamming a fist into Clawitzer's side and rocketing the Howitzer Pokémon into a stone nearby.

"Dragon pulse!" Niko commanded.

"Clanging scales!" Melinda shouted proudly. Kommo-o slammed its arms together, causing the scales all around its body to move in an awkward rhythm that produced sound. The sound waves emitted were light purple in color—due to the draconic energy released from them—and collided with the dragon pulse, resulting in nothing. "Now use dragon dance!"

"Here's your chance!" Niko shouted. "Dragon pulse!"

"Kommo-o, clanging scales again!" Melinda said proudly. After charging up from the dragon dance—a move Niko disliked very much—Kommo-o repeated its attack, this time not only repelling the dragon pulse, but successfully striking Clawitzer, who had just gotten out of the rock he was thrust into. "And…dragon claw!"

With more fury this time, Kommo-o charged at Clawitzer and, before the water crab could launch an attack, slashed on him downwards, thrusting his face into the ground. Clawitzer was frozen in place.

"Clawitzer is unable to battle, Kommo-o is the winner!" the judge declared. "Niko will now use his third Pokémon!"

"Reuniclus, you're up!" Niko shouted, summoning the Multiplying Pokémon. "Use future sight!"

"Kommo-o, dragon dance!" Melinda commanded proudly. Kommo-o surrounded itself once more with purple and red energy. Niko watched at it crackled powerfully. Calming himself, he noticed Reuniclus successfully used future sight.

"Great, now psychic!" Niko commanded. He avoided using rollout—one of Reuniclus' other moves—for fear of Kommo-o hitting too hard. Psychic was a better choice, anyways. The Multiplying Pokémon's eyes began to glow light pink as she slowly picked Kommo-o up, disrupting the dragon dance. "Now…throw it!"

Reuniclus threw Kommo-o powerfully to the side, hitting the same stone that Clawitzer had earlier. She then followed up with hidden power, which Niko remembered to be a fire type. Kommo-o then charged at Reuniclus with fury, attempting to slash at her with dragon claw. The psychic type moved out of the way, firing hidden power at the Scaly Pokémon's side. Kommo-o gripped the scales under its right arm.

"Clanging scales!" Melinda commanded.

"Reuniclus, use rollout to dodge it!" Niko commanded. Reuniclus rolled up into a sphere-like object and spun through the air, moving away from the light purple-colored sound waves. Once the attack finished, she uncurled himself and used psychic to powerfully throw Kommo-o again. _Just a little longer…she just has to wait until future strike hits. That's when we can win_.

"Dragon rage!" Melinda commanded, noticing Niko smirk. "What…?"

"This. Reuniclus, use psychic!" Niko shouted. The Multiplying Pokémon obeyed, taking control of Kommo-o's body and thrusting it forward, just as two wormholes appeared above them and fired down on the Scaly Pokémon. Kommo-o roared out as the electrically-charged objects struck at him. Reuniclus let go, watching Kommo-o fall to the ground.

"Kommo-o is unable to battle, Reuniclus is the winner!" the judge declared. "Melinda will use her fourth Pokémon!"

"Oricorio, I choose you!" Melinda commanded, summoning a familiar Pokémon to Niko. However, it looked slightly different. It was purple-colored now, with the tips of its wings in the shapes of fans with a fan-shaped crest on its head. At the base of its crest were four feathers with light blue tips that resembled ornamental hairsticks.

" _Bzzzt, that the Sensu Style of Oricorio!_ " Rotomdex declared, " _It's a ghost and flying type. It charms its opponents with its refined dancing. When they let their guard down, it places a curse on them that will bring on their demise_."

"Reuniclus, use future sight again!" Niko commanded while he figured out a different strategy for this Pokémon. "Use hidden power!"

"Revelation dance!" Melinda commanded. Oricorio jumped around gracefully, summoning spectral powers that shattered the hidden power and struck at Reuniclus with surprising speed. The Multiplying Pokémon took the hit and fell backwards. "Now, follow up with agility and hurricane!"

Oricorio sped towards its opponent before leaping into the air and unleashing a hurricane downwards onto Reuniclus, quickly overwhelming her.

"Reuniclus…?" Niko asked. He didn't know if the psychic type was still able to fight. It had just taken two powerful attacks—one super effective—back to back.

Reuniclus slowly got back up, only to collapse forward in defeat.

"Reuniclus is unable to battle, Oricorio is the winner!" the judge declared. "Niko will now use his fourth Pokémon!"

"Alright, Melinda. This is fun so far," Niko said with a smirk. "But get ready, because that was just the warm-up. Magneton, I choose you!" he shouted.

"Ah, Magneton…" JJ said with an entertained smirk. "I always love seeing that little guy battle."

Kaila looked in awe at the trio of magnets floating around. During the battle, JJ and Brittany told her about Niko's Magneton.

"Alright buddy, you ready?" Niko asked. Magneton buzzed loudly, which Niko took as a "yes," he smirked. "Then let's start off with thunderbolt!"

"Oricorio, dodge it with agility!" Melinda commanded. The Dancing Pokémon swiftly evading the single thunderbolt that came crashing down in the space it used to be. However, Oricorio didn't expect a sonic wave slap it directly in the face, knocking it backwards and onto the hard, rocky terrain.

"Thunderbolt!" Niko commanded. Using up more of its electric energy, Magneton fired another thunderbolt, this time successfully striking Oricorio. "Well done!" he shouted. "Now, let's see if we can finish it off now…zap cannon!"

Magneton nodded, staying completely still as it prepared to fire the usually inaccurate attack.

"Revelation dance!" Melinda commanded. Oricorio summoned more spectral powers from its graceful stepping, firing the powers at Magneton who, in an incredible showing of strength, resisted most of the attack, only wincing briefly at the start. "And…roost!" she said calmly, hoping to heal her Pokémon enough to withstand an attack.

"NOW!" Niko roared. Magneton fired the attack, crackling loud enough to nearly pierce its trainer's eardrums. The massive surge of electricity struck Oricorio, who had attempted to use agility to evade. The dancing Pokémon was thrust backwards, far past Melinda and nearly into the tunnel behind her. An explosion erupted when it crashed into the wall.

As soon as the smoke cleared, Oricorio was found lying on the ground in defeat.

"Oricorio is unable to battle, Magneton is the winner!" the judge declared. "Melinda will now use her fifth Pokémon!"

"Oricorio, return," Melinda said with a sigh. "That was some luck there, Niko. I'm impressed. But like you said, now we get serious. Arcanine, I choose you!"

"Magneton, be prepared," Niko said calmly. "This won't be easy. I can already tell," the magnet Pokémon nodded. "So let's start off with sonicboom!"

"Extremespeed!" Melinda shouted. The Legendary Pokémon charged towards Magneton with blinding speed, enough to nearly evade the sonicboom, even though it took minimal damage from the attack. "And fire fang!"

Soon enough, Arcanine was upon Magneton, grabbing onto its body and, with fiery fangs, thrusting it into the ground. Magneton managed to land a thunderbolt successfully, but Arcanine quickly released a flamethrower while still biting that quickly defeated Magneton.

"Magneton is unable to battle, Arcanine is the winner!" the judge declared.

Niko blinked. That Arcanine looked more powerful than he had imagined. It might've simply been the fact that Magneton was at a severe disadvantage. Either way, it was rough. "Return. You did well, buddy. Thanks for battling with me. Braviary, you're up!"

"If any non-water type can beat a Pokémon like that, then it's Braviary for sure!" Warren said excitedly. As usual, Kaila was enthralled by the large eagle summoned by Niko.

"Hone claws," Niko said simply. Arcanine couldn't reach Braviary in the air, making it easier for him to prepare for the battle. When he saw his Pokémon ready, he began to strike. "Use aerial ace!"

"Flamethrower!" Melinda commanded. Arcanine fired a stream of flames at the Valiant Pokémon, who spun to the side to dodge them, just as white tendrils appeared around his beak. Braviary then crashed into Arcanine before swooping back into the air. Niko noticed the Legendary Pokémon wince. The attack was having an effect, clearly. "Now extremespeed!"

"Braviary, wait for it…" Niko said. The bird could take a hit, he thought. Braviary wait for Arcanine to crash into him before Niko yelled "crush claw!" Braviary's talons burst into a bright blue color before it grabbed onto Arcanine's shoulders and thrust him into the air in what looked to be an incredible feat of strength. "And now aerial ace!"

Braviary shot upwards to catch Arcanine again, this time ramming it in the stomach with his beak. The two shot through the air before Braviary stopped, letting the Legendary Pokémon fall towards the rocky terrain.

"Finish it off with brave bird!" Niko commanded! Braviary turned downwards and, after enveloping himself in a light blue coat of energy, burst downwards towards Arcanine, who managed to get up quickly enough to belt out a flamethrower. Braviary, as he was wont to do, shot directly through the flamethrower and collided with Arcanine head-on. An explosion of dust and dirt erupted from the battlefield, covering the results of the match.

Moments later, Braviary shot out of the dust cloud in a dramatic fashion. Once the dust settled, Arcanine was laying in defeat.

"Arcanine is unable to battle, Braviary is the winner! Melinda will now send out her final Pokémon!"

"Return," Melinda said. "I'm proud of you, Niko. You've improved a lot since our last league battle…nearly four years ago!"

"He's got her beat," Warren said confidently. "He still has one Pokémon, and his Braviary doesn't look too bad."

No one else wanted to argue this with him, as they all wanted Niko to win. Even Charlotte, who might have to face him herself should it come to that.

"Primarina, you're up!" Melinda shouted, summoning the Soloist Pokémon. "Remember this one? We've gotten stronger, too," she said with a wink.

Niko nodded. "Can't wait to see it. Braviary, hone claws!"

"Moon blast!" Melinda commanded. Primarina summoned a massive pink ball of light and fired it at Braviary, who attempted to dodge but failed, getting knocked out of the air easily. "And sparkling aria!"

Primarina began singing loudly and beautifully, summoning a large, pulsating orb of water. Braviary quickly got back up, as he wasn't down and out yet, and shot towards the attack with aerial ace.

Both attacks hit simultaneously, with Braviary striking Primarina just as the bubble collapsed on him, thrusting him into the ground. He attempted to get back up but collapsed a second time.

"Braviary is unable to battle, Primarina is the winner!" the judge declared. "Niko will now use his final Pokémon!"

"Return, buddy," Niko said. "I'm very proud of you. You took down an Arcanine on your own and did some damage to Melinda's strongest. That's impressive," he said to the pokéball in his hands before exchanging it with another, far more familiar one. "It's up to you now, buddy. Venusaur, I choose you!"

"Ah, your starter?" Melinda asked curiously. When she noticed Niko nod, she smiled. "This should be exciting, then. Ice beam!"

"Use petal blizzard!" Niko commanded, hoping to conceal the ice beam enough for it to minimize the damage. Venusaur felt some of it strike him, but not a lot to be significant. _Should I mega-evolve? Would that really be the best solution here? Venusaur can win on his own, but that ice beam does look strong. And she had a Z-move still…_ "Stun spore!"

Block it with hydro pump!" Melinda shouted. This successfully eliminated the yellow spores, watering them down to render them useless while also striking Venusaur in the face. That's when Niko realized he might need to mega evolve. Without thinking about it, he felt the Key Stone hanging around his neck begin to warm up.

 _It's happening…_ he thought. "Venusaur, mega evolve!" he shouted instinctively. Venusaur's form began to change. He grew in total size, and the plant on his back increased in height and width. Once then transformation was complete, he let out a breath of air. "Let's do this. Venusaur, solarbeam!"

"Sparkling aria!" Melinda commanded. The bubble created by song quickly floated at Venusaur, who managed to burst it with solarbeam and graze Primarina in the side, causing both it and Melinda to frown slightly. "Moonblast!"

"Frenzy plant!" Niko shouted, suddenly feeing a steep loss in energy when Venusaur thrust spiked roots from underneath the ground and slapped Primarina with them. _What happens if I use a Z-move while in this state?_ Niko wondered. He didn't want to find out, but he might have to. "Now, petal blizzard!"

Melinda's Z-ring began to glow brightly. "It's time, Primarina. Use Oceanic Operetta!"

Primarina was suddenly overcome with Z-energy, causing it to burst into an orange aura. The Soloist Pokémon then created a massive, light blue sphere made entirely of water. It must've been a couple dozen yards in diameter. Primarina then thrust it at Mega Venusaur, who had just unleashed petal blizzard offensively.

"Use it defensive—ah!" Niko shouted, feeling a massive weight land on his shoulders just as the bubble burst on top of Venusaur. "…n-never mind. Venusaur, use petal blizzard again!"

Venusaur nodded, understanding how Niko was feeling. He calmed down for a moment, closing his eyes before opening them just as quickly and releasing a massive vortex of pink petals at Primarina. The Soloist Pokémon attempted to block them with hydro pump but found itself unable to and was quickly overcome by the attack.

 _Now…let's see if we can do this_ , Niko said. He wanted to end this so he and Venusaur could rest. He looked at his Z-ring, noticing the Grassium-Z already in there. "Venusaur…I want to try something with you. Are you ready?"

"Oh shit…" Warren said, "is he…?"

"Oh no…" Charlotte said silently, causing Kaila to look at them both in confusion.

"What's going on?" she asked. Just as soon, she found her answer.

"Venusaur, use Bloom Doom!" Niko roared, feeling the same energy transfer from his Z-ring to Mega Venusaur as his Pokémon felt, which was an odd sensation in every way. Mega Venusaur then roared out, summoning a massive beam of light green energy that shot directly into the sky, creating a field of flowers all around them.

The blast of solar light fell directly on top of Primarina. Just as it did, Niko—with every bit of energy he could muster—commanded Venusaur to continue attacking.

"Use…frenzy…plant…" he gasped before falling to his knees, panting heavily. Venusaur obeyed, causing massive spiked roots to erupt out of the ground and strike Primarina, one after another. Niko then collapsed, blacking out for what seemed like only a moment.

"…and the winner is Niko from Pallet Town!" he heard the judge say. Opening his eyes, he looked up at Melinda returning a defeated Primarina to its pokéball before jogging over to where Niko was laying, flat on the cold concrete platform.

"Niko, congrats," Melinda said. "You're going to the finals!"

"Y-yeah. Thanks, Melinda," Niko said, slowly getting up. He simply smiled at Venusaur who, just as exhausted, smiled back warmly. For the third year in a row, they made it to the finals in a Pokémon League.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Sorry, these next few episodes are going to be long. I'm trying to quickly finish this season up before my free time completely goes out the window. I don't expect anyone to be reading these as they come out.**

 **A** **close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on the sister site to this one. If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	51. Kaila's story

**Episode 51: Kaila's story**

"And now we have our second semifinal match today! Now, we have Charlotte from Castelia City versus Kaila from Hau'oli City!" Kukui declared. Just before Niko had defeated Melinda, the two friends exited the stands to prepare for their battle, going to tunnels on opposite ends of the large stadium. On que, both trainers entered the battlefield—which was a brick-lain one—and waited for the judge to allow them to begin.

"Ninetales, I choose you!" Kaila commanded, summoning a beautiful, light blue-furred, foxlike creature.

"Smeargle, you're up!" Charlotte said, summoning the Painter Pokémon. "Let's start off with flash cannon!"

"Ninetales, use ice beam!" Kaila shouted, thrusting her hand forward in a similar manner to Niko. The Fox Pokémon summoned a stream of ice energy that struck at the beam of light. However, it wasn't nearly powerful enough to block the attack, and faded as Ninetales was stricken, wincing as a result. "Dazzling gleam now!"

"Smeargle, block it with flash cannon!"

Two competing flashes of light enveloped the field, now only resulting in a stalemate. Smeargle charged forward with what now looked like flame charge.

"How'd she learn that…?" Warren asked, looking at an exhausted Niko, who was slumping in his seat. He only responded with a quick smile.

Ninetales used ice beam again, however it couldn't slow down Smeargle, who was still charging at it. The two Pokémon collided and, as soon as they did, Smeargle fired off a hex attack from her painting tail, throwing Ninetales backwards. This aggressiveness surprised Charlotte more than she expected it to. Nevertheless, she commanded Smeargle to use flash cannon again. Only this time, Ninetales' eyes emitted red rings.

 _Confuse ray_ , Charlotte thought to herself. This was bad. Smeargle had difficulty taking hits—she was better on the offensive than defensive. She watched helplessly as Smeargle slapped herself with her tail, accidentally emitting a flash cannon on herself. Kaila and Ninetales took advantage of this and shot an ice beam directly at Smeargle, knocking her over and swiftly finishing her off with dazzling gleam.

"Smeargle is unable to battle, Ninetales is the winner!" the judge declared. "Charlotte may now use her second Pokémon!"

"Return," she said. "Tyranitar, I choose you! Use rock slide!" she shouted immediately. Upon entering the battlefield, a sandstorm erupted around them, causing Charlotte and Kaila to squint at first in order to see their Pokémon.

"Ninetales, block it with dazzling gleam!" Kaila commanded. The bright pink light emitting from the Fox Pokémon was enough to halt Tyranitar, who only managed to conjure a few rocks that lamely crashed onto the brick floor of the battlefield before stumbling backwards. "And confuse ray!"

"Buckle down and use iron head!" Charlotte shouted. _Ninetales won't be able to survive this attack_ , she thought to herself. And she found herself to be quite correct. The Fox Pokémon was knocked to the ground immediately from Tyranitar's aggressive headbutting. On Kaila's command, Ninetales unleashed another dazzling gleam. While it was effective, it wasn't enough to stop the massive Armor Pokémon, who used earthquake to quickly eliminate the Alolan Pokémon.

"Ninetales is unable to battle, Tyranitar is the winner!" the judge declared. "Kaila will now use her second Pokémon!"

"Golisopod, I choose you!" she shouted energetically, sending out the awkward-looking crustacean Pokémon that Guzma used against Niko. "First impression!"

The Hard Scale Pokémon charged unexpectedly at Tyranitar, slamming into the Armor Pokémon's chest with more strength than either he or Charlotte thought was possible. Tyranitar took a knee as Golisopod prepared to use liquidation on him.

"Tyranitar!" Charlotte commanded, holding out her Key Stone. "Mega evolve!" she shouted. Tyranitar suddenly changed forms, erupting into a much larger and far more intimidating Pokémon. The Armor Pokémon rose back to his feet just as Golisopod crashed into him. Tyranitar grunted low before using earthquake, causing the Hard Scale Pokémon to stumble on the ground.

"Stay in, Golisopod," Kaila said calmly, which Charlotte hadn't seen from her rival in a long time. That's when she remembered something Rotomdex had mentioned about Golisopod's ability, which caused it to retreat into its pokéball after it hit a certain point of exhaustion.

"Tyranitar, now!" she commanded. "Use rock slide!"

"Razor shell on them, now!" Kaila commanded loudly. Golisopod slashed at the oncoming rocks with a newfound energy, breaking nearly all of them successfully. Then, all of the sudden, it felt Mega Tyranitar crashing into it at full force, dragging the bug type through the brick battlefield and causing it to tumble across the ground towards Kaila, this time in defeat.

"Golisopod is unable to battle, Tyranitar is the winner!" the judge declared.

"Return. Wow Charlotte, that's…a really strong Tyranitar you've got there."

"Yep!" Charlotte said. "But c'mon, is that all you can do?" she said with a teasing smirk.

"No! Not at all!" Kaila shouted. "Tsareena, you're up!" she said, summoning the Fruit Pokémon. "Use trop kick!"

"Tyranitar, dark pulse!" Charlotte commanded. The Armor Pokémon released a powerful nexus of dark energy at his grass type opponent, causing her to stumble backwards before she could even release her attack. "Now, iron head!"

"Trop kick again!" Kaila yelled. Tsareena flipped forward through the air before slamming the back of her foot on Tyranitar's hard-as-steel head, which hardly seemed to have an effect, at least on the surface. "Now, power whip!"

Tsareena landed on the ground gracefully, turning to see Tyranitar stand straight up again. She quickly unleashed a thick strand of her hair, now extended, and wrapped it around Tyranitar's arm before slapping him with another thick strand. Kaila then commanded the Fruit Pokémon to use leaf storm while she had Tyranitar tied down.

"Earthquake!" Charlotte commanded. Fortunately, this managed to release Tyranitar from Tsareena's grip. It did not, however, stop the massive storm of sharp leaves from attempting to pierce his armor, causing him to collapse onto one knee again.

"High jump kick!" Kaila shouted, more energetically than ever. Tsareena bounded forward with her disproportionately long legs, leaping high into the air before descending with one foot forward.

"Iron head!" Charlotte commanded. Tyranitar thrust his head upwards to meet Tsareena. Both Pokémon repelled one another, with Tsareena hurtling through the air before crashing on her back. Tyranitar, meanwhile, fell forward in defeat, reverting to his normal form as he did so.

"Tyranitar is unable to battle, Tsareena is the winner! Charlotte will now use her third Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"We did it, Tsareena!" Kaila yelled ecstatically! "We beat a mega-evolved Pokémon!"

"Congrats, Kaila," Charlotte said calmly and kindly. "But you haven't beaten me, yet! Salazzle, I choose you!"

"Tsareena, we can do this, right?" Kaila asked, clearly noticing their obvious disadvantage. The Fruit Pokémon turned to her and nodded confidently. "Right. We can. Use high jump kick!"

"Salazzle, toxic!" Charlotte commanded. Tsareena, unfortunately for Charlotte, was much too fast for Salazzle's attack, bursting with liquid poison just after Tsareena had leapt out of range. "Use dragon rage to stop it!" she shouted. Salazzle arched her head upwards and fired purple and orange flames mercilessly at her opponent, causing Tsareena to miss and ultimately crash into the ground, groaning as she did so. "Now, use flamethrower!"

Tsareena managed to dodge the jet of flame aimed at her before spinning to the left and slamming her foot into Salazzle's right side with trop kick. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon turned to Tsareena and hissed menacingly before spitting venom everywhere, successfully coating her opponent in it.

Charlotte pulled no punches. "Use flamethrower, now!"

"Leaf storm!" Kaila commanded. Tsareena fired a flurry of leaves that only managed to get burned within the stream of fire emitted from Salazzle's mouth. Tsareena, now sustaining heavy burns, stumbled backwards and collapsed on her back in defeat.

"Tsareena is unable to battle, Salazzle is the winner!" the judge declared. "Kaila will now use her fourth Pokémon!"

"Ruffy, I choose you!" Kaila shouted, sending out the orange-furred creature otherwise known as Lycanroc. "Ruffy, use stone edge!"

"Salazzle, charge forward and dodge them, then use toxic!" Charlotte commanded. Salazzle quickly slithered along the ground, weaving in and out of the pointed stones erupting out of the brick floor beneath her. She then slid to the side and whipped up a circle made entirely of poison. However, Ruffy leapt out just as it was about to burst, which would normally have poisoned him. "Dragon rage!"

"Use accelerock!" Kaila commanded. Ruffy shot downwards and slammed into Salazzle, albeit taking some of the damage from dragon rage before knocking it down. "And rock slide!"

Before Salazzle could get back up, Ruffy commanded several rocks from midair to shoot downwards at her. She swiftly dodged each one before leaping into the air herself and using venoshock, spraying Ruffy with poison. He dodged with accelerock, quickly moving forward—and out of the way of the poison—before leaping into the air and slamming into Salazzle's chest, rocketing her further into the air. Ruffy landed just as Salazzle began her descent back to the ground, where she crashed into the brick with a loud _thud_.

"Salazzle…?" Charlotte asked, looking at the Toxic Lizard Pokémon. She slowly got back up, only to collapse a second time.

"Salazzle is unable to battle, Lycanroc is the winner! Charlotte will now send out her fourth Pokémon!"

"Return," she said calmly. "Noivern, I choose you!"

"Ruffy, return as well," Kaila said. "Charlotte, I'm having a lot of fun with this."

"Me too," Charlotte said, waiting for her opponent to use a Pokémon to take on her Noivern, if not Ruffy.

"Vikavolt, you're up!" she shouted, summoning a familiar-looking Stag Beetle Pokémon. "Use thunderbolt!"

"Dodge with acrobatics!" Charlotte commanded. Noivern started to glow a transparent white color as she weaved through the air, quickly and carefully moving around the thunderbolt before striking at Vikavolt, who nearly managed to dodge, but was instead shot into the ground. "Now use air slash!"

"Vikavolt, thunderbolt again!" Kaila commanded. Noivern, flying just above the electric type, fired off two small, light-blue blades of air just before taking the thunderbolt to the back. She fell forward, allowing Vikavolt to get back into the air and respond with an air slash of its own, striking Noivern and hastening her descent to the ground. When she crashed into the ground, she panted, slowly making her way back onto her feet. Looking up at Vikavolt, she growled lowly.

"Screech!" Charlotte shouted, apparently understanding the anger her Pokémon was feeling. Noivern uttered an incredibly loud, screeching sound that made Vikavolt briefly cringe before releasing another thunderbolt. "Dodge and use dragon pulse!" she shouted.

Noivern's ears started to glow dark purple as she fired off a pulsating wave of energy in Vikavolt's direction. The Stag Beetle Pokémon swiftly dodged it and charged downwards at Noivern, firing an air slash along the way. When Vikavolt was close enough, Charlotte commanded Noivern to use dragon pulse a second time. It missed—again—but Noivern took another thunderbolt as a result, bringing her to her knees.

"Vikavolt, use x-scissor!" Kaila commanded. Vikavolt's mandibles started glowing a bright red as it descended towards Noivern, still recovering from the thunderbolt. The Sound Wave Pokémon waited for it to get closer before unleashing a dragon pulse, blowing it back. "THUNDERBOLT!" Kaila shouted. Vikavolt, just before crashing into the ground, fired a thunderbolt from above, striking Noivern and forcing her into the ground as well.

When the smoke cleared from both attacks, Charlotte and Kaila found their Pokémon lying on the ground and unmoving.

"Noivern and Vikavolt are both unable to battle, both trainers will now send out their next Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Magmar!"

"Frillish!" Charlotte shouted, summoning the Floating Pokémon onto the field. "Use wring out!"

"Magmar, use toxic!" Kaila commanded. The Spitfire Pokémon attempted to whip up a poisonous area around Frillish, but failed when the Floating Pokémon, well, floated away and grabbed onto Magmar's body, thrusting it into the air, spinning it, and eventually throwing it into the ground. "Flamethrower!"

"Water pulse!" Charlotte shouted. Frillish took the jet of flames—she started to emit steam as a result—but nevertheless threw down an orb of water that burst upon contact with the fire type. "And use hex now!"

Frillish backed away, summoning a small sphere made of spectral energy and again threw it at Magmar, who blocked it with fire punch.

"Wring out again!" she shouted. This time, when Frillish got closer to Magmar, Charlotte could see Kaila smirk. It wasn't evilly, or anything, but it was slightly unsettling.

"Thunderpunch!" she shouted once Frillish got close enough. Magmar's fist lit up with electricity and slammed it into Frillish's body, knocking the Floating Pokémon into the ground powerfully. "And now use toxic!"

A purple circle surrounded Frillish before erupting, just like it did when Salazzle used it. Frillish wailed out as the poison coursed through her body.

"Water pulse!" Charlotte quickly shouted. She wanted to get Magmar further away. Fortunately, she succeeded in this endeavor, as Magmar stumbled backwards, giving time for Frillish to get back up. "Now, use water pulse again!"

This time Frillish managed to knock Magmar off of its feet and onto the ground. This time, Magmar didn't get back up. But Frillish still felt the pain from the toxic and winced.

"Magmar is unable to battle, Frillish is the winner!" the judge declared. "Kaila will now use her final Pokémon!"

"Ruffy, you're up!" Kaila said, once again sending out the Wolf Pokémon. "Ruffy, let's start off with stone edge!"

"Frillish, water pulse!" Charlotte commanded. The Floating Pokémon weaved in and out of the stone edge successfully at first, dodging several pointed rocks as they protruded forward. However, she suddenly felt the toxic do its damage, and she collapsed to the ground as a pointed stone erupted from the ground, launching her into the air. "Frillish!"

"Accelerock!" Kaila commanded. Ruffy shot into the air, colliding with Frillish and further sending her flying before she descended to the ground with a loud crash, just as Salazzle had done previously.

"Frillish is unable to battle, Lycanroc is the winner!" the judge declared. "Charlotte will now use her sixth and final Pokémon!"

"Well it's down to the wire now, cousins!" Kukui declared. "Whoever wins this next match will join Niko in the finals!"

"Ampharos, I choose you!" Charlotte said, throwing out a pokéball containing her Light Pokémon. "It's all down to you now. Are you ready?"

Ampharos turned to Charlotte and calmly nodded. She knew that he didn't enjoy battling nearly as much as the others—evident when she first caught him. But it became obvious that he saw it as a duty he needed to accomplish, more than anything. But if he didn't want to, he could leave—Charlotte once made that clear to him.

"Alright, then. Use dragon pulse!" she shouted. Ampharos summoned draconic energy in the jewel atop his head and fired it at Ruffy, who swiftly dodged it using accelerock and charged at him with the same move. "Electro ball!" Charlotte added.

The two Pokémon collided. As soon as Ruffy slammed into Ampharos, the latter's tail was already moving towards Ruffy's side, releasing the electro ball upon contact. Ruffy lurched to the side, collapsing onto the ground and barely able to move.

It was paralyzed, Charlotte realized. "Use dragon pulse!"

A pulsating wave of draconic energy flew over Ruffy, doing more damage before he managed to get back up, albeit slowly, and release himself from the paralysis. Ruffy was exhausted now, Charlotte could tell. Fortunately, Ampharos wasn't.

Then, Kaila pulled out her Z-ring. As soon as she did, she performed the same poses used for Rockium-Z. However, Ruffy leapt back in front of her and, overcome with Z-energy, began to howl loudly. Large, splintered rocks appeared out of seemingly nowhere.

"SPLINTERED STORM SHARDS!" Kaila screamed, fully releasing the Z-energy and allowing Ruffy to attack. Dozens of large, pointed stones flew through the air, all of them aimed directly at Ampharos.

"Block with electro ball and thunderpunch!" Charlotte shouted in an attempt to stop the attacks from doing too much damage. Ultimately, this failed, and Ampharos was knocked to the ground from the full force of the attack. In the aftermath, Ruffy successfully landed back on the ground, albeit exhausted as well.

The battlefield was silent for a moment as both trainers considered their next move. Charlotte knew what she wanted to do. It was just as matter of when it would be prudent to do so.

"Bah, whatever," she muttered in a way Niko might. "Ampharos! Let's go!" she said, holding up her Z-ring to reveal Electrium-Z. "Just like we've practiced. Ampharos, use Gigavolt Havoc!"

After the Z-energy transferred to Ampharos, a massive electric build-up appeared around the bulb on his tail. Slowly, but surely, he moved it around before thrusting it across the field towards Ruffy. The Wolf Pokémon tried to move out of the way, but the attack was faster, colliding with him and resulting in a massive explosion. Ampharos doubled over in exhaustion, panting heavily from not only taking a Z-move, but also using one himself.

"Ampharos…?" Charlotte asked. The Light Pokémon turned to her. "Good job," she said with a thumbs up.

Ampharos smiled and returned the gesture.

Meanwhile, Ruffy lay on his side, struggling to get up. Kaila didn't quite know how to react and seemed to well up a bit in tears. Charlotte didn't quite see this at first, paying more attention to Ampharos than her opponent until the judge declared the winner.

"Lycanroc is unable to battle, Ampharos is the winner! The victory goes to Charlotte from Castelia City!"

Blinking, Charlotte looked up at Ampharos, then at Kaila, and then at the scoreboard showing their six Pokémon and then a close-up on her profile.

"And now we have our finalists! Niko from Pallet Town and Charlotte from Castelia City!"

In the stands, Niko sat back, his energy slowly coming back to him. He too didn't know how to react. All of Niko's friends and family turned their heads to see his reaction. The only notable change in his body language was his mouth was slightly ajar.

He'd have to face Charlotte to win the Lanakila Conference.

* * *

Later that day, Niko was sitting outside, pondering what he wanted to do about his upcoming match with his _girlfriend_. He truly had no idea.

And then he heard soft footsteps coming from nearby. Looking up, he saw Melinda again.

"Somehow, I always know to look for you outside, brooding," she said teasingly.

"I guess so," Niko said, chuckling. "great battle, by the way. I'm glad I got to go up against you."

"Same here," Melinda said, touching Niko's shoulder. "You've gotten much better. I hope you win tomorrow."

"I don't know if I want to, honestly," Niko said. "I have to face my girlfriend, of all people!"

"She'd understand if you won. Making it to the finals on its own is an accomplishment. Just do your best, and if you win you win, if you don't then, well, you don't. But I have my money on you, if it means anything."

"Heh, sort of," Niko said, again laughing. "Well, I hope you find what you're looking for. In a goal, that is."

"I hope I do, too. I think that now this is out of the way, I can really focus on that. And I'm ready for something different in my life. I think that we all wish for that at some point, you know?"

Niko nodded. He'd been doing the same thing, more or less, for the better part of seven years. He knew that better than anyone.

"Anyway, I have to get to bed. I'm pretty tired. I'll be here to watch your match tomorrow. I hope you do your best."

"Thanks, Melinda," Niko said as his friend—no longer his rival—walked towards one of the apartment buildings housing the competitors and audience.

* * *

After her battle, Charlotte quickly grabbed dinner with Niko and her friends before searching for Kaila. After she was declared the winner, Kaila returned Ruffy and ran off of the battlefield. She looked upset, and Charlotte wanted to try and alleviate some of that pain that her rival might be feeling.

She scoured the entire stadium, finding nothing and no one. Eventually sitting down on one of the couches to rest, she thought about her own progress. In Kalos, she came in the Top 16 and was distraught about losing to Aaron. Now, she was in the Top 2 against one of the people she looked up to the most. The one trainer who was most deserving of making it to the Elite 4 and, hell, the Champion of Alola.

But she couldn't deny her own progress. She could beat Niko. She believed that she could.

Then, out of nowhere, a thought came to her. She knew where Kaila was.

 _Knock, knock_

The door opened, revealing a short, dark-skinned girl with red eyes, presumably from crying. Upon seeing Charlotte, Kaila looked down, as if in shame.

"Are you doing alright?" Charlotte asked calmly, even though she knew the answer already.

"N-no, I'm not," Kaila replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I want to talk to you. May I come in?" Kaila nodded, allowing the older girl into her room. Ruffy was laying on her bed. He perked up when he saw Charlotte and wagged his tail cheerfully. Charlotte rubbed his belly, which he seemed to enjoy a lot. "You were really tough out there, Ruffy. One of the strongest Pokémon I've ever fought."

"Really?" Kaila said, almost pathetically. "There's no way."

"I'm not lying, Kaila. That was a tough battle. You did really well."

"Not well enough," she said, huffing.

"Well, did I ever tell you how well I did in my first Pokémon League?"

"No."

"I came in Top 16. I lost to that guy, Aaron? The one with Bewear? Yeah, I lost to _him_. And when I lost, he sort of rubbed it in my face. But I also didn't know how to handle losing. It was my first time. And so I did what you did—sat in my bedroom and cried my eyes out with my then-Noibat to comfort me. That's also when I came up with a new goal," Charlotte hesitated before saying this last bit. "I've never told anyone this—want to hear it?"

Kaila nodded.

"My new goal became beating Niko," she said. "Silly, I know. But I wanted to defeat him in battle, even though I…well, I really like him. But he's the strongest trainer that I know, and if I could overcome him then I've truly become a strong trainer in my own right. And look at me now! I have an opportunity to reach my goal!"

Kaila continued listening, sniffling the entire time.

"I don't think Niko ever told you about _his_ first Pokémon League," Charlotte said, sitting down next to Kaila now. She shook her head. "He came in the Top 32—in Kanto they had 128 trainers competing, and most others do, too. But he lost to one of his best friends, this guy named Fay. He was better than Niko in training and battling at the time, and he beat Niko in a half-battle. After that, Niko wanted to quit entirely. He wanted to go home to Pallet Town and forget all about it. But he was persuaded to continue by his friends and Pokémon, then-ivysaur included.

"The point is that you shouldn't give up. You did better than either of us did in our first tries. _That matters, Kaila_!" she then hugged the younger girl. "And I'm very proud of you. For a lot of things, but also for this."

Charlotte felt her shirt suddenly get wet. She let go to find Kaila bawling now.

"What's wrong?" she said, helping her friend wipe the tears away.

"It's just…you remind me of my mother," Kaila said.

"Your…mother…?" Kaila had never mentioned her parents. Or any family for that matter.

"Y-yeah…" Kaila said, looking away. Ruffy clearly knew where this was going and sat up to comfort his trainer. "Th-they…they're not around anymore."

"What do you mean?" Charlotte asked. She was starting to put everything together, but she wanted to hear it from Kaila herself.

"A few years ago, when we were living in Hau'oli City, a fire broke out in our house. I had just caught Ruffy at the time, and wanted to go do the Island Trials, but I was too young. I was asleep at the time, but Ruffy woke me up, along with my parents. We tried to get out, but as I was about to leave my room something fell on top of me. I don't remember much after that, but somehow the plank—or whatever kept me down—was removed, and Ruffy and I were able to get out of the house with the help of firefighters," she paused, trying to stop herself from crying.

"I…I never saw my parents again. And," she lifted up her jeans on her leg, revealing a long coat of plastic where her leg should be. "I lost my leg that day, too. I don't know how it happened, but I went into surgery afterwards to treat my burn marks and to get me a new leg. It sounds crazy, I know, but that's what happened. My parents were so excited to watch me become a trainer with Ruffy, because that's what I wanted to do! And now they can't!"

Charlotte was silent for a while, trying to figure out what to say. Everything started to make sense now—the limping, the fear of fire, the constant wearing of jeans and long sleeves, to hide the prosthetic leg and burn marks, respectively.

"You're amazing, Kaila," she said.

"Huh?"

"I said you're amazing. I can't imagine having to go through that kind of trauma, and then getting back up and doing the things that I love again. You seem to love travelling, Pokémon, and battling. And it's obvious that you do when you talk to us, or when you battle with Ruffy and the others. You're happiest when you do that. You know it, your parents knew it, and Niko and I know it. And if they were here today, your parents would be so, _so_ proud of the girl you are, and the woman you're going to be."

Kaila nodded.

"And wherever you are, know that we're always here for you. Niko, I, Warren, and our friends and family. They're your friends and family now, too."

Kaila simply lurched forward and hugged Charlotte tightly.

"Thanks, Charlotte," she said softly.

"That's Niko's line," she said teasingly, returning the hug.

* * *

Niko was sitting in his room by the time Charlotte came back. When she did, he looked up and smiled. "Where've you been?"

"Oh, man…" she said, sounding exhausted. "I was with Kaila."

"How did she take it? The loss, I mean," Niko asked as Charlotte sat next to him on the bed.

With a heavy sigh, Charlotte began explaining everything—Kaila's reaction, and then the story of her past. Niko listened the entire time, frowning slightly when Charlotte mentioned how he had lost in the Indigo League. Fortunately, he was only frowning in a joking manner. He teared up slightly when they got to Kaila's backstory, and eventually muttered a slight "oh" as soon as everything started coming together.

"When we went to the Melemele Cemetery, I think I saw someone standing there with a Pokémon that looked like Ruffy. I think that was her," Niko said, "because afterwards she showed up near our campsite. Remember?"

"I do. She was probably mourning her parents that day. Wow…Niko, I'm glad we met her."

"Why is that?"

"Because she's awesome, that's why. She's energetic, friendly, and a strong young girl. Dealing with that trauma and picking yourself up again takes a lot of willpower, and she did it. She overcame her fear of fire because of you, and she learned how to be a better trainer because of us. And just now, she learned how to handle losing a battle because of us. I think we really impacted her life in a positive way."

Niko nodded. "You're right…we did," he said. It had finally dawned on him—the impact he had on people. He didn't quite know how to react in the moment, and later he would look back on this as a pivotal point in his life.

"Anyway…" Charlotte said, clearly changing the subject, "we're battling tomorrow."

"We are."

"I have an idea, though," she said. "Why don't we use our Alolan teams for this one? You don't have to use Poipole—you can use a reserve for your sixth if you'd like, to make it a fair fight."

Niko pondered this. It sounded like a really good idea actually. "I like that. Let's do it, since we each have six Pokémon from Alola or, well, at least five," he said, referencing Charlotte's Noivern and his to-be-decided sixth Pokémon. He then kissed Charlotte on the forehead.

"Then it's settled. We'll use only the Pokémon we trained in Alola!"

The two then went to bed, needing to rest up for the big battle the following afternoon.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Finals next episode! Still not out of the clearing yet, though! One of them is clearly going to win and proceed to the Elite 4. But which one will it be, now that they're on a roughly even playing field?**

 **A** **close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on the sister site to this one. If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	52. Love is a battlefield

**Episode 52: Love is a battlefield**

"Well…" Kukui said as the battle was about to get started. "This should interesting."

"The finalists are in a relationship, right?" Hau asked. Kukui turned to the Champion and nodded. "That must be a first, at least for Alola."

"There are a lot of firsts for a young conference. But you're right. It is a first. Excited to have a challenger soon?"

"They have to beat the Elite 4 first," Hau said, turning to Molayne, who nodded.

"If they can beat me, Olivia, Acerola, and Kahili, then they deserve to challenge Hau."

Just then, the door opened, revealing a panting black-haired man with a Pikachu on his shoulder. Seeing this, Kukui jumped out of his chair to greet their guest.

"Ash! Good to see you, cousin," he said, embracing the trainer. Ash was wearing jeans, a black t-shirt, and a red and white denim coat. "We've got quite a pair of finalists this time."

"Yeah? Who is it?" Ash asked.

"Niko from Pallet Town and Charlotte from Castelia City."

"…Niko?" Ash asked. "The same Niko who won the Lumiose Conference?" Kukui nodded. "Geez. That kid…"

"Might make it to Hau," Kukui said, finishing the younger trainer's sentence. "He's impressive. And better yet, he's dating his opponent in the finals."

"Woah!" Ash exclaimed. "That's…new. Can't quite say I've ever experienced that."

"Well, your wife doesn't battle, does she?" Hau asked, looking up at Ash. The taller trainer nodded. "Exactly."

"You alright, Hau?" Ash inquired. He turned to Kukui for elaboration, but the professor shrugged.

"I haven't been sleeping as much recently."

"Oh, right. Worried about Alola's safety?"

Hau nodded. "I think we're in the clear, but it's still my job to have as much certainty as possible. I talked to Clemont, by the way. He's certain Kalos is safe."

"Yeah, Greninja hasn't sensed any problems yet," Ash replied, looking out the window of the box to see the audience making their way into the stands.

"What are you doing about this," Hau asked. "World Champion?"

"I've been in contact with Champions from other regions, just as you have. I'm also monitoring the situation. It might not look like it, but I'm well aware of the dangers we could be facing soon."

"Have you found a possible culprit behind the problems Sinnoh was recently having?" Kukui wondered.

"No. Cynthia is looking further into it, but we haven't managed to track down anyone associated with what might be happening. She recently sent an expedition to the top of Mt. Coronet to check for any…oddities up there."

"Why up there? Wouldn't Dialga and Palkia make sure the place is safe?"

"They're not as attached to their environment as the Guardian Deities are to Alola," Ash explained. "But the top of Mt. Coronet is supposedly also the location of the Hall of Origin, where Arceus is said to live."

"Arceus lives in Sinnoh?" Hau asked.

"No, but that's the only place we can access the Hall of Origin. As far as I'm concerned, that's essentially heaven for Pokémon."

The Elite 4, Kahunas, Hau, and Kukui all went silent. Minutes later, they'd have to begin the final match of the conference.

* * *

"Welcome, one and all to the Lanakila Conference! I'm your host, Kukui, and today we have the final two competitors in the conference! On one end, we have Niko from Pallet Town, and Charlotte from Castelia City!"

The two trainers stood opposite one another. Niko had difficulty looking over at his girlfriend. This wasn't exactly how he envisioned winning another conference title. What also bothered him was how even the match was. To be sure, he wanted it to be fair, but he also believed Charlotte's Alola team was far stronger than his was. It was certainly more balanced.

This made it difficult for him to win. However, nothing significant was attained easily, and Niko knew that.

His conflicted feelings left him in a confused state going into this battle. He only hoped that he could get over it quickly enough to focus on the present. The here and now, not the future.

Before he realized it, the battle was beginning.

"Noivern, I choose you!" Charlotte shouted, summoning the Sound Wave Pokémon.

"Drampa, you're up!" Niko said, sending out the Placid Pokémon.

"Use dragon pulse!" they shouted simultaneously. Both dragons created a transparent aura around them and fired pulsating blasts of energy at the same time. The resulting explosion took nearly a minute to dissipate. When it did, Niko and Drampa saw Noivern shoot through the remaining smoke and use acrobatics.

"Dragonbreath!" Niko shouted. Drampa released purple and orange flames from his mouth, downing Noivern before following up with extrasensory, in which he threw his opponent backwards. "Now, dragon pulse again!"

"Noivern, dodge with acrobatics," Charlotte said. This time, The Sound Wave Pokémon moved quicker, ultimately slamming into her opponent and following up with a close-range air slash. Drampa roared out—now pissed off, as Niko expected—and fired a dragon pulse directly at Noivern's face, rocketing the Sound Wave Pokémon back across the grass-covered battlefield. Niko could briefly see Charlotte smirk. She had something up her sleeve.

"Drampa, use dragonbreath!" Niko shouted. "And get closer!"

Drampa took flight, slowly but surely getting into the air and flying towards his opponent. Once he was close enough, he fired purple and orange flames in an attempt to douse his opponent in them.

But the attack missed. Niko looked up to see Noivern flying above Drampa.

"Noivern, _boomburst_!" Charlotte commanded.

Noivern's body became surrounded by a thin light-blue aura, with the inside of her ears glowing light blue. Suddenly, a blue static appeared on both sides of the ears. She then fired swirly supersonic waves of light blue aura towards the opponent, which increased in size and strength as they hit Drampa, catching the Placid Pokémon by surprise and knocking him backwards.

"Now use dragon pulse!" Charlotte yelled, thrusting her hand forward, as Noivern took advantage of Drampa's and Niko's surprise by following up with a pulsating wave of dragon energy, hitting Drampa and decisively defeating him.

"Drampa is unable to battle, Noivern is the winner! Niko will now send out his second Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Return. You did well, buddy. We definitely did a number on that Noivern that will help whoever's next defeat her," Niko looked up at Charlotte. She wasn't pulling punches here. She was serious. He needed to step up, too. "Incineroar, I choose you!"

"Already…?" Warren asked. "Doesn't Niko save his aces for later?"

"Not always," JJ said, with Jake and Brittany nodding. "I think he wants to reset the tone of the battle. Charlotte tried to by catching him off guard with boomburst and defeating his first Pokémon without question. He wants to change that in his favor, so he's going to go with the strongest choice."

"Noivern, boomburst!" Charlotte commanded.

"Darkest Lariat!" Niko roared. The Heel Pokémon whipped himself into a frenzy, his entire body catching on fire and spinning around until he got through the boomburst—surprisingly enough. Incineroar cancelled the move and stopped, looking directly up at Noivern, who was now preparing to use dragon pulse. "Block it with flamethrower!"

Incineroar shouted as he streamed a jet of fire from his waist belt, striking Noivern before she could use dragon pulse and disrupting the move. The Sound Wave Pokémon crashed into the ground, giving Niko and Incineroar the opportunity they were looking for.

"Darkest lariat again!" Niko shouted. Incineroar spun around once more, creating a tornado of fire around him. He crashed into Noivern as she stood back up and dragged her across the battlefield before breaking out of his spin and slamming the side of his foot into Noivern's chest, rocketing her backwards with double kick. "Well done!"

"Noivern, can you keep going?" Charlotte asked. Noivern started to stand up, but clearly felt a pain in her chest and collapsed forward in defeat.

"Noivern is unable to battle, Incineroar is the winner! Charlotte will now send out her second Pokémon!"

"See?" JJ said. "Setting the tone."

"Ampharos, I choose you!" Charlotte shouted, summoning the star of her most recent battle with Kaila. "Use electro ball!"

"Incineroar, flamethrower!" Niko shouted. The Heel Pokémon blocked the electrified ball of energy by covering it in fire, prematurely exploding from a safe distance. "Now, use double kick!"

Incineroar charged at Ampharos, running at a brisk enough pace to quickly get to his destination. However, the Light Pokémon interrupted his advances with power gem, knocking the Heel Pokémon onto his back from the thrust of the pink gems. He slowly got back up as an electro ball came hurtling towards him.

"Darkest lariat!" Niko said quickly. Incineroar spun around, using the energy from his attack to minimize the impact of the electro ball. Once the attack hit, Incineroar stopped, and was recalled to his pokéball. "Return. I might need you for later," Niko said. "Aurorus, I choose you!"

"Ah, that's the reserve you chose. Nice choice," Charlotte said with a smile. "This should be fun."

"Luckily Wulfric was around to send her to me," Niko explained. "Aurorus, let's begin! Use ice beam!"

"Ampharos, block it with electro ball!" Charlotte shouted. The Light Pokémon spun around, firing a sphere containing electrical energy, and repelled the stream of ice before spinning back again and using power gem.

"Use avalanche!" Niko shouted. Aurorus summoned a curtain of ice and rocks that, for the most part, blocked the pink gems from striking her. "Now, use ancientpower!" And through the aftermath of the avalanche came large chunks of rock from the Tundra Pokémon, which managed to successfully hit Ampharos, who attempted to block some of them with thunderpunch and electro ball.

"Power gem again!" Charlotte commanded. Ampharos took a step forward on the grass and fired off another round of pink gems, nearly a dozen in total. Aurorus used ancientpower once more, this time more defensively by controlling where the rocks went. She then fired an ice beam at Ampharos, knocking the Light Pokémon backwards.

"Avalanche!" Niko shouted, seeing an opportunity. Aurorus roared loudly, her rainbow sail glowing brightly as she covered her opponent in rocks and ice.

Moments later, Niko saw Ampharos arising out of the pile of snow he was under. He had used thunderpunch to break some of the rocks, ignoring the reaction of ice to electricity. The Light Pokémon was certainly exhausted by now—panting heavily from using as much electric energy as he had, versus Incineroar and now Aurorus.

"Aurorus, use ice beam!" Niko commanded.

"Block it with electro ball!" Charlotte shouted. Ampharos slowly conjured another electro ball and fired it at Aurorus, missing the ice beam but still managing to hit his intended target. In turn he took the ice beam, collapsing towards his trainer and landing on his knees in the wet grass. "You can keep going. I believe in you."

Ampharos nodded, slowly standing back up. He turned, and was met with an avalanche to the face, quickly burying him in defeat.

"Ampharos is unable to battle, Aurorus is the winner! Charlotte will now use her third Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Return, Ampharos. Well done. Decidueye, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning her green owl. "Use leaf blade!"

"Aurorus, ice beam!" Niko commanded. The Tundra Pokémon swiftly fired a stream of ice, her sail flaring up again. Just as quickly, Decidueye opened his wings and shot forward, spinning around the ice beam and, just before he got to his opponent, closed his wing. As soon as he was upon Aurorus, he re-opened it, revealing a long, leafy sword that he used to slash at the Tundra Pokémon's side.

"Well done!" Charlotte shouted as Decidueye made his way back around the field. "Now use spirit shackle!"

"Aurorus, thunder wave!" Niko commanded. The Tundra Pokémon released a wave of electricity in all directions. However, Decidueye flew above this and quickly and decisively shot a purple arrow, tipped with spectral energy, and shot Aurorus in the side with it. The Tundra Pokémon wailed loudly, gritting her teeth as she reflexively shot an ice beam at Decidueye, who once again evaded the attack.

"Leaf blade again!" Charlotte commanded. Decidueye shot towards the ground flying only a foot or so above, before getting close to Aurorus and using leaf blade. In exchange, Aurorus used thunder wave as soon it was hit by leaf blade, causing the Tundra Pokémon to collapse to her side, and Decidueye to rocket to the opposite side, now unable to move.

"Aurorus is unable to battle, Decidueye is the winner!" the judge declared as Aurorus couldn't seem to get back up on her own. "Niko will now use his fourth Pokémon!"

"Ribombee, I choose you!" Niko shouted.

"Decidueye, return," Charlotte said, expectedly. "Nice move, Niko. I expected ice beam instead. Mudsdale, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning the massive Draft Horse Pokémon to take on the incredibly tiny Ribombee. "Use heavy slam!"

"Ribombee, wait for it," Niko said calmly. "We know how to handle this," he said, referencing his battle against Hapu's Mudsdale, in this Ribombee lost because he couldn't get out quickly enough. The massive horse charged at the Bee Fly Pokémon before leaping high into the air, his body glowing a bright gray color before he began his descent. "Now!"

Ribombee dodged the move, spun around, and fired an energy ball from his hands at Mudsdale, which seemed to seriously injure the Draft Horse. It turned, angrily, and charged at Ribombee with high horsepower. This time, Ribombee _did_ get hit, pummeled in fact, by the fast-moving, powerfully built horse. He was flung into the grass, feeling pain coursing through his entire body.

"Mudsdale, use high horsepower again!" Charlotte commanded. Mudsdale once more charged at Ribombee, who managed to react fast enough by using dazzling gleam, which temporarily blinded the horse and caused him to veer to the side on accident.

"Energy ball!" Niko shouted. Ribombee fired a sphere of pure energy at Mudsdale while he was still in a daze, but it didn't last long. The Draft Horse Pokémon turned back to the Bee Fly Pokémon before charging at him a third time. "Dodge it and use dazzling gleam!"

Ribombee quickly moved out of the way once again before releasing a blinding light from his body. The light hit Mudsdale in the side, causing him to wince. He looked angry now, turning sharply towards his opponent and leaping high into the air.

"Heavy slam again," Niko said. Ribombee turned to his trainer and nodded. Niko didn't know what it meant, but he went along with it. The Bee Fly Pokémon then released a stun spore into the air, paralyzing Mudsdale and causing him to fall quicker. This time Ribombee managed to get out of the way, but barely. The shockwaves erupting from the heavy slam, however, were enough to knock Ribombee out, sending him hurtling into the grass in defeat. "What the—?"

"Ribombee is unable to battle, Mudsdale is the winner! Niko will now use his fifth Pokémon!"

"Return…Ribombee," Niko said. _What the hell was he trying to do?_ "Vaporeon, I choose you!" Niko shouted, summoning the Bubble Jet Pokémon. "Use water pulse, now!"

"Mudsdale, bide!" Charlotte commanded. Even though he was paralyzed, bide became the perfect move for the Draft Horse Pokémon to use. He took the water pulse, and the subsequent aurora beam, and then another water pulse, all the while creating a transparent aura around himself. Then, unexpectedly, Mudsdale was released from the paralysis and stood back up, now filled with energy. "NOW!" Charlotte screamed.

"Vaporeon, block it!" Niko shouted. The Bubble Jet Pokémon panicked briefly before trying to use water pulse. Instead, she got hit by the massively thick stream of energy, engulfing her entire body and rocketing her backwards. "No!"

"Mudsdale, high horsepower!" Charlotte commanded, thrusting a hand out. Mudsdale charged down the battlefield, stomping heavily on the grass until he reached his opponent. Once he did so, he felt a high-pressured burst of water strike his face.

Vaporeon learned a new move.

Mudsdale stepped backwards, buffeted by the attack. Shaking his muddy mane, he looked down at the Vaporeon. Their eyes locked for a moment, as if accepting one another as a worthy opponent of the other.

In the stands, JJ and his Umbreon were watching closely, observing how the Pokémon's daughter was fighting, and fighting well enough.

Vaporeon then took a battle stance, ready to continue. Mudsdale did the same.

"Heavy slam!" Charlotte commanded. The Draft Horse Pokémon jumped into the air, shaking the ground as he did so. He began to descend when Niko ordered Vaporeon to fire a hydro pump at the underbelly.

Vaporeon did so, crying out loudly as she opened her mouth and fired a strong jet of water at Mudsdale's stomach. The attack severely slowed him down, causing him to crash into the ground just in front of her as she leapt back to protect herself.

"Finish him off with aqua tail!" Niko commanded. Vaporeon leapt into the air, flipping, and landing a bright blue tail on her opponent's head, defeating the Draft Horse.

"Mudsdale is unable to battle, Vaporeon is the winner! Charlotte will now send out her fifth Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Salazzle, I choose you!" Charlotte shouted in an oddly unconventional choice. Niko tilted his head in confusion. What was she planning to do?

Their friends in the stands were equally stumped by this, especially Warren, who was yelling at Charlotte to use Decidueye instead.

"Do you want her to win?" Jake asked.

"W-well, I don't really know who I want to win," Warren explained. "Just that they make the right choices."

"Maybe it is the right one?" Jake asked, which made Warren think hard about it.

"Salazzle, eh?" Niko asked. "This'll be interesting. Vaporeon, use hydro pump!"

"Dodge it!" Charlotte commanded. Salazzle slithered to the right, evading the high-pressured blast of water before releasing a venoshock of her own, spraying Vaporeon with liquid poison. The Bubble Jet Pokémon cringed, trying to conceal her pain as much as possible, before conjuring a water pulse out of anger and thrusting it at Salazzle, successfully hitting the Toxic Lizard Pokémon. "Now, use toxic!"

Salazzle hissed at Vaporeon—her friend, but temporarily her opponent—before creating a circle of poisonous material around the water type. Vaporeon, still hurting from the venoshock, tried to escape but couldn't when the toxic burst, enveloping all around her and successful poisoning her. Vaporeon stumbled to the ground, trying to stay in the battle.

"You can do this, Vaporeon," Niko said. "JJ's watching…Umbreon's watching. Just remember who you are."

Vaporeon nodded without looking at Niko and stood up. She leered at Salazzle before charging, with all of her might, towards the poison type. She leapt high into the air, spun forward, and slammed her tail down on Salazzle's head before using the power from aqua tail to lurch herself forward and onto the ground behind her opponent.

Both Salazzle and Vaporeon spun around to face one another, with the latter firing a hydro pump and the former using flamethrower. Both attacks collided in the space between them, creating a heavy cloud of steam that quickly engulfed the field.

"Water pulse!" Niko shouted.

"Venoshock!" Charlotte commanded. They heard small explosions and roars of pain within the steam cloud before Salazzle and Vaporeon rocketed backwards out of it. Once the steam cleared, the two simply lay there, both in defeat.

"Vaporeon and Salazzle are unable to battle! Charlotte and Niko will use their next Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Lapras, I choose you!" Charlotte said, summoning the Transport Pokémon.

"Toucannon, you're up!" Niko shouted, sending out the large toucan-like Pokémon. "Use echoed voice!"

"Ice beam!" Charlotte shouted. Lapras fired off a steady stream of ice that nearly struck Toucannon, who managed to evade at the moment before, hollering loudly as he did so. "Now ice shard!"

"Block it with drill peck!" Niko shouted. Toucannon thrust his wings outwards to the sides before charging at his opponent. His beak started glowing a bright white color as he shattered shards of ice in varying shapes and sizes before striking at Lapras' chest, causing the Transport Pokémon to wail out. "And rock smash!"

Toucannon slammed his talon on top of Lapras' head with incredible force, thrusting the entire Pokémon forward and into the grass. He then followed up with echoed voice, which only irritated Lapras. The water and ice type then raised her head back up and fired an ice beam that finally struck Toucannon in the wing, freezing it and causing him to crash-land into the grass.

"Water pulse now!" Charlotte commanded. Lapras raised her head and, like Vaporeon does, fired the pulsating orb of water at her target. Toucannon lifted the frozen wing, intending for the attack to hit it. It succeeded but ended up thrusting Toucannon onto his back and into the ground. "Follow up with ice beam again!"

"Toucannon, beak blast!" Niko shouted. The flying type rolled to the side to dodge the ice beam, all while his beak started to heat up. He then thrust his beak forward, firing a heated collection of energy at Lapras, which was enough to distract her while he charged forward and struck her in the chest with rock smash, followed up by a drill peck.

Charlotte didn't know what to do. Toucannon was far faster and far more versatile than Lapras—he didn't have mobility issues. This is why Niko sent Toucannon out—and not just because his only other option was Incineroar. He knew that the way to beat Lapras would be to have a Pokémon fast enough to attack from any angle.

 _This is why he's strong_ , she thought. "Lapras, use rain dance!" she shouted in hopes of slowing down the toucan. "And use water pulse!"

"Toucannon, rock smash again!" Niko commanded. The flying type spun around the water pulse and slammed his beak into Lapras this time. The Transport Pokémon roared out loud before angrily firing an ice beam down on him. Toucannon took the hit and crashed onto his back. "Beak blast!" he shouted. Just before Lapras was about to use ice beam in hopes of finishing him off, Toucannon successfully hit Lapras in the face with beak blast. Seeing the massive Transport Pokémon falling forward in defeat, Toucannon roll to the left and out of the way.

"Lapras is unable to battle, Toucannon is the winner!" the judge declared. "Charlotte will now use her final Pokémon!"

"Decidueye, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning a still-paralyzed Arrow Quill Pokémon. "Try and use leaf blade!"

"Toucannon, drill peck!" Niko commanded. The Toucan Pokémon charged back down towards his new opponent, beak glowing white. However, the sparks crackling around Decidueye disappeared, and Toucannon's attack missed when the Arrow Quill Pokémon seemingly disappeared. "What…?"

"Now!" Charlotte shouted and, like a ninja, Decidueye appeared behind Toucannon, striking at him in the back with leaf blade. Toucannon crashed face-first into the ground with enough force to lodge his large, curved beak into the grass battlefield. "And finish it off with pluck!"

Swiftly, Decidueye finished what Lapras started. His beak glowing light blue, he slashed at Toucannon's back, knocking the flying type out.

"Toucannon is unable to battle, Decidueye is the winner!" the judge declared. "Now Niko will use his final Pokémon!"

"It's down to the wire, folks!" Kukui shouted. "Once of these two trainers is the next Lanakila Conference Champion!"

"Today is just full of surprises," Warren huffed. "Nothing makes sense anymore. A flying type beating an ice type? A grass type beating a flying type?"

"Incineroar, I choose you!" Niko shouted. "It's down to you and Decidueye, buddy. Think we can do this?" The Heel Pokémon turned to Niko with a teasing look that suggested "are you kidding me?"

"Decidueye, use spirit shackle!" Charlotte commanded.

"Block it with darkest lariat!" Niko shouted. His paws lighting on fire, Incineroar spun around aggressively, burning up the quickly-fired arrow. "Now, flamethrower!"

"Ominous wind!" Charlotte said. Decidueye flapped his wings, whipping up a chilling air that managed to mitigate some of the strength from flamethrower, ultimately merely burning him. "Now, use pluck!"

"Fire fang!" Niko commanded. Decidueye rocketed down from midair and charged at Incineroar, his beak lighting up a light-blue color and expanding outwards. He struck powerfully at Incineroar, who retaliated by grabbing onto Decidueye's wing with his hand and thrusting his teeth onto it, lighting the grass type on fire. "Darkest Lariat!"

Incineroar spun around again, rocketing Decidueye backwards towards his trainer. He got back onto his feet, now exhausted from his fight with Aurorus and now with Incineroar. But Charlotte noticed he wasn't about to give up. Not when he was the last one. Not against Incineroar.

Charlotte noticed how her starter Pokémon interacted with Niko's. During much of their journey through Poni Island, the Arrow Quill Pokémon ignored Incineroar, likely due to his childish nature and erratic behavior at times. It seemed to disgust Decidueye, who used to have a high respect for him as a Litten and Torracat. Now, Decidueye seemed to only view Incineroar as a fighter and, in this battle, as an obstacle to victory. He wasn't giving up.

Charlotte then looked at Niko, noticing him look back. The mere fact that she had gotten this far in a battle against him was a testament to her progress—one that she could truly be proud of. Alola had taught her how to take a loss better, while Niko taught her how to attain a goal. She wouldn't reach her goal today, and she knew it—Charlotte wasn't stupid. But she had gotten closer than she would've expected so many months ago when she declared to herself that she would defeat her boyfriend in a Pokémon battle.

Niko was surprised he got so close in this match with Charlotte. He knew his chances of losing were small this point, but he was convinced he got to this point partly on skill, and partly on luck. It was apparent in this battle with his Toucannon managed to defeat Lapras, and that he would have Incineroar at the end against a Pokémon he could easily defeat. However, he didn't quite know how to feel about it. Was beating Charlotte the right thing? Would she be mad at him? Would she break up with him for it?

 _I don't know what's going to happen after this…_

 _I got further than I ever thought…_

They both thought. Charlotte raised her Z-ring, displaying the Decidium-Z, just as Niko held up Incinium-Z.

 _Niko…_

 _Charlotte…_

 _I love you._

"Sinister Arrow Raid!"

"Malicious Moonsault!"

Both attacks happened simultaneously, with Incineroar crashing into Decidueye just as he fired several massive ghostly arrows at him. A large explosion resulted from the two moves essentially colliding with one another.

Once the dust settled, Incineroar slowly got back up, standing up to his full height as he stood over his defeated opponent, Decidueye.

"Decidueye is unable to battle, Incineroar is the winner! The victory goes to Niko from Pallet Town!"

"Our new Conference Champion, everyone!" Kukui shouted happily.

 _For once, I'm not about to faint…_ Niko observed, looking around at the audience clapping and cheering for him.

* * *

"WOW!" Warren shouted, running up to hug Niko. "You did excellent out there! Two league wins in a row, too!"

"Thanks, Warren," Niko said nervously. "Anyone seen Charlotte?" None of them seemed to know. "I'm going to go look for her. I'll…meet you guys in the dining hall, alright?"

The group nodded, waving to Niko as he ran off to find his girlfriend. "I wonder how Charlotte's taking it," JJ observed.

"Probably better than we think," Brittany added. "Coming in second isn't anything to scoff at, even in a smaller tournament like this one."

"Both of them deserved to win that battle," Jake observed. "Both of them pulled off things that they shouldn't have, but they did anyways. It's clear that they learned from one another, too. At least, that's what I've noticed."

No one seemed to argue with him.

* * *

"Charlotte!"

The brunette turned to see her boyfriend running towards her, dodging press and supporters yelling his name for a variety of reasons. The two quickly embraced.

"Hey, Niko…" she said.

"I love you."

"What?" Charlotte said as they disengaged from the hug.

"I. Love. You."

"I…I do too," she said. "Were you…?"

"Thinking it? Yes."

Without thinking any further, Charlotte reached up and, now in an audience, kissed Niko.

"That was a great battle, by the way," Niko said.

"It really was. We knew how to end it dramatically," Charlotte added.

"Oh absolutely. Simultaneous Z-moves always makes for an interesting battle. C'mon," he grabbed her hand. "Let's go eat something with everyone. They want to congratulate you, too."

Charlotte nodded, allowing herself to be taken by Niko. Even though she lost, she still felt like a winner.

* * *

 **Author's Note. To be honest, the reason this episode is ending as abruptly as it is is because i'm really tired. The next episode will include a little more dialogue about the aftermath of the finals. Next episode-the Elite 4, Part 1!**

 **A** **close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on the sister site to this one. If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	53. Steel and rock

**Episode 53: Steel and rock**

Just before Niko left the battlefield, Kukui, the Elite 4, Hau, and another familiar man with a Pikachu all joined him in the middle of the field, just like when he won the Lumiose Conference.

"Niko!" Kukui said, holding a trophy with four symbols emblazoned on it. "When I met you I figured you'd make it far, but you exceeded my own expectations! Congrats!"

"Thanks, Kukui," Niko said, taking the trophy and looking at Incineroar, who grinned.

"Nice to see you again," Ash said, holding out a gloved hand. Niko clasped it, looking directly at him with a smile.

"Likewise."

"I see you've raised an Incineroar. It's pretty strong. I'd love to battle it someday," Ash said, waving to Niko's Heel Pokémon, who nodded back. "And congrats again."

"Niko," Hau said, finally stepping forward. "As Champion of Alola, I offer you an opportunity to challenge the Alola Elite 4 if you wish. Do you accept this offer?" Niko turned to Incineroar and, already knowing his answer, nodded. "Excellent. The first battle will be tomorrow morning. All Elite 4 battles will be tomorrow in quick succession, with only a couple of hours between them. Your first opponent will be Molayne," he said, motioning to the lanky, yellow-and-orange haired man Niko met at Hokulani Observatory.

"I look forward to our match," he said, looking down at Niko and clasping his hand as well.

"Same here."

"Each match will be 4-on-4, so you can prepare accordingly," Hau explained. "We will see you then."

* * *

"So you accepted the offer?" Warren asked in between bites of a hamburger. "To challenge the Elite 4?"

"Yeah. Molayne is my first opponent," Niko said. "I don't know what he uses, though…"

"Steel types," JJ said, pulling out a tablet and looking it up. "They don't say what Pokémon the Elite 4 own, but only their type specialty. Molayne uses steel types, Olivia uses rock, Acerola uses Ghost, and Kahili uses flying types."

"Luckily, I've battled two of those people before, shouldn't be too difficult," Niko said.

"They probably use different Pokémon, to be honest," Charlotte said, "Except maybe Kahili, since she's a captain or a Kahuna."

"But she's tough," Niko said, remembering when he fought her Toucannon to try and impress Ferdinand Diamond—even though he didn't want to. "Anyway, I think I have an idea of who I want to use in this battle."

"Yeah? Probably fire types, right?" Jake asked, watching his brother nod in response. "You've got some really impressive fire types, too. Molayne doesn't know what's gonna hit him."

"He's a smart guy. I actually think he does know," Charlotte added with no disrespect to Niko. "But Niko isn't to be messed with. He didn't use his reserves against me and still won."

"But it was a close match," Niko explained. "If certain Pokémon were used at different times the tide could've changed."

"It didn't though, and you won," Charlotte said, "deservedly so."

Niko shook his head, smiling the entire time. This is why he loved Charlotte so much.

* * *

The Stadium at Mount Lanakila wasn't as full as the day before, but Niko didn't really care too much. All that mattered was the person standing across from him on the battlefield, which was made entirely of steel. Four columns adorned each corner and seemed to produce electricity. There was a wall only a few feet tall that bordered the ends of the battlefield. And on the other end stood the first member of the Elite 4—Molayne.

"Go Niko!" Warren shouted from the seats just behind his friend. Charlotte, Daisy, Emily, Jake, JJ, Maizie, Brittany, and Kaila all joined him. Poipole also floated around in the area around them, as it had during many of Niko's other league battles.

"Welcome, one and all, to the Alola Champion's League!" Kukui declared. "The winner of the Lanakila Conference, Niko, will face off against each member of the Alola Elite 4 in succession. Upon defeating a member, he will proceed to the following one a couple of hours later. Should he defeat all four members, he will face Champion Hau tomorrow afternoon in the Champion's Match."

The league official judging the match explained the rules—a 4-vs-4 match, first to defeat their opponent's entire team will be declared the winner.

Niko felt comfortable. He had faced off against Elite 4 members before—mostly losing, but he's also managed to win some. This was also a shorter battle, which might work to his advantage. He wasn't entirely certain of that, though.

"You may begin!"

"Klefki, I choose you!" Molayne said, throwing out a pokéball containing a small set of keys floating in the air. "Allow me to say again, Niko, that I am incredibly honored to be battling you. You showed promise in the Hokulani trial—on both attempts—so this will be a fun match, I think."

"I agree. Talonflame, you're up!" Niko shouted, summoning his Scorching Pokémon. "Start off with flame charge, let's go!"

"Klefki, use thunder wave," Molayne said calmly. Klefki spun its keys around in a circular motion, generating electricity and firing it at Talonflame in a concentrated blast. Talonflame managed to swiftly move out of the way before attempting to crash into the Key Ring Pokémon, who also dodged due to its small size.

 _Let's try something different_ , Niko thought in reference to how he used to fight with Talonflame. "Use flame charge again!" He shouted. Talonflame continued using the move to speed up, generating more heat as she did so. Klefki used flash cannon, which only seemed to miss Talonflame. Eventually, the Scorching Pokémon was doing exactly what Niko wanted. "Now, in a tight circle around Klefki!" he commanded. Talonflame spun around, generating a fiery tornado around his opponent. Klefki once again tried to use flash cannon, but to no avail. "And…flare blitz!"

Talonflame released herself from the tornado and shot directly into the eye of it, slamming into Klefki and crashing into the steel-coated ground with enough force to bend it slightly.

"Klefki is unable to battle, Talonflame is the winner! Member Molayne will now use his second Pokémon!"

"Niko's off to a great start," Warren said, nodding with surprise.

"That strategy won't always work, though," Jake said. "But I'm sure he knows that."

"Solid strategy, Niko. However, I don't think it'll get you very far with this one. Metagross, I choose you!"

"Alright Talonflame. We're fast enough now, we just need to change strategy a bit," Niko said. Talonflame didn't know any ranged moves, which might make this hard, because Metagross was strong in both ranged and close-combat moves. "Use flare blitz!"

"Metagross, psychic!" Molayne shouted, now exerting some semblance of passion. Talonflame was quickly taken control of and thrust into the ground forcefully. "And use meteor mash!"

Metagross retracted its four legs before floating towards its downed opponent and, swiftly, slammed the front two on Talonflame, crushing her into the steel battlefield.

"Hammer arm!" Molayne continued. Metagross finished pummeling Talonflame with a quick hammer arm before leaving it be for a moment. The Scorching Pokémon slowly got back up, albeit incredibly exhausted by this point.

"Flame charge!" Niko shouted. Talonflame shot forward to strike at Metagross, who simply used psychic to throw her back into the ground. This time, Talonflame didn't get back up.

"Talonflame is unable to battle, Metagross is the winner! Niko will now use his second Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Return. You did well, buddy. Please rest. Magmortar, I choose you!" he shouted, summoning the Blast Pokémon. In the stands, Kaila perked up at seeing the large, fiery Pokémon. "Use sunny day!"

Suddenly, the sky brightened up, and the battlefield started to get a little warmer. Metagross showed no discomfort by this, and simply glared at its new opponent. "Metagross, use hammer arm!"

"Block it with fire punch!" Niko shouted. Magmortar waited until Metagross was upon him before using his arm-cannon to block the heavy, fast-moving hammer arm. "With your other arm, use flamethrower!" he continued. Magmortar pointed his right arm-cannon at Metagross and released a jet of flames from it, sending the Iron Leg Pokémon rocketing backwards. "And now use lava plume!"

Magmortar, now with both arms, fired small spheres of lava at Metagross, melting away the ground in the process. The Iron Leg Pokémon stood there, now in discomfort from the heat. Niko could see Molayne trying to consider a way around this. Then it looked like a lightbulb lit up in his mind, as he reached into his pocket to grab something.

"Metagross!" he said, inserting a gray Z-crystal into his Z-ring. "Use Corkscrew Crash!"

Z-energy transferred to the Iron Leg Pokémon, who shot up into the air and, pointing all of its legs downwards, began to spiral towards Magmortar at an unbelievable speed. It crashed into its opponent before the Blast Pokémon could properly react. Magmortar fell onto his back, entirely exposed.

"Hammer arm!" Molayne shouted. Metagross slammed a glowing leg on top of Magmortar, who held it in place with his arm-cannons. "Drop them using psychic!" the Elite 4 member shouted. Suddenly, Magmortar's arms fell to his sides, allowing the hammer arm to crash down onto his chest with enough force to defeat him.

"Magmortar is unable to battle, Metagross is the winner!" the judge declared. "Niko will now use his third Pokémon!"

"Well, this doesn't look so good," JJ said. "But Niko had stronger fire types than just Magmortar."

"Magmortar, return. You did your best and helped set up for the others. Thanks, buddy. Numel, I choose you!"

"There he is," JJ said with a smirk.

"A Numel, eh?" Molayne said curiously. "Interesting choice. You're full of surprises, Niko. Metagross, use psychic!"

"Earth power, Numel," Niko said calmly. The Numb Pokémon slammed his front feet onto the ground, causing vibrations to echo throughout the field before hitting Metagross just underneath it, erupting and sending the Iron Leg Pokémon into the air. Numel then found himself subject to the psychic and was thrown about. "Flamethrower!"

"Block it with psychic!" Molayne commanded. The Iron Leg Pokémon's eyes began to glow as it took control of the flames and extinguished them successfully. "Now use meteor mash!"

"Molayne," Niko said as Metagross was charging at Numel, "you're a smart guy, but this move is not. Numel, use flame burst!"

Aided by sunny day, Numel fired a small fireball from his mouth, striking Metagross in the eye. He then, on Niko's command, use earth power a second time, striking at Metagross from underneath. To finish it off, Niko used flamethrower that, aided by Numel's now-boiling rage, defeated the Iron Leg Pokémon.

"Metagross is unable to battle, Numel is the winner! Member Molayne will now use his third Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Metagross, return. You're right, Niko. My mistake. Sometimes even Elite 4 members mess up. Bisharp, I choose you! Use night slash!"

The Sword Blade Pokémon that Niko was familiar with sped across the field, its right sword-arm glowing a dark purple. Before they knew it, Bisharp was upon Numel, striking as his side before turning around and striking at the other side. Numel grunted before emitting a flamethrower instinctively, which successfully hit Bisharp and knocked it to the ground.

"Poison jab!" Molayne commanded.

"Numel, earth power!" Niko shouted. Numel struck the ground, causing vibrations under the field to trip up his opponent. It didn't seem to succeed, as Bisharp simply leapt into the air, spun around, and landed by thrusting its sword-arm into the hole on Numel's back. "Also a bad idea…" he said with a smirk. "Flame burst!"

Numel fired a fireball from inside his hump and out through the top, causing Bisharp to rocket directly upwards. Numel then moved to the side, albeit slowly, and released a flamethrower at the Sword Blade Pokémon, dousing it in fire and leaving a relatively nasty burn on it.

Fortunately for Molayne, the Pokémon could continue fighting. Bisharp charged at Numel again, now using night slash again. He managed to succeed and dodged a reactionary flame burst. Then Numel, unexpectedly, also charged at Bisharp. Niko knew this side of the Numb Pokémon. When he got angry, he got _angry_.

"Numel, go!" Niko shouted excitedly. The fire type rammed into Bisharp, taking a poison jab to the side in the process. Then, at close-range and aided by the sunlight, he released a jet of blue flames that shot Bisharp across the field. The Sword Blade Pokémon collapsed in front of Molayne in defeat.

"Bisharp is unable to battle, Numel is the winner! Member Molayne will now use his fourth and final Pokémon!"

"Niko is creaming this guy," Brittany said in awe. Niko had improved a lot since Kalos. As did his Pokémon.

"Well done, Niko. That Numel of yours has proven me wrong. Now, you might find this Pokémon to be just as easy. Or not. Magnezone, I choose you!"

"Numel, you ready to continue?" Niko asked. The Numb Pokémon nodded, turning to his trainer. He looked more exhausted now. _I guess the rage really gets to him after a while. That blue fire probably expends a lot of energy_.

"Flash cannon!" Molayne commanded. Magnezone fired a bright, flashing gray light at Numel, causing him to look away briefly before the attack struck him. Numel groaned, the attack on top of the lack of energy was starting to get to him. "And tri attack!"

Three colored spheres appeared in front of the floating Magnezone—one blue, one yellow, and one red—before they connected to form a triangle and fired at Numel. He groaned again, using flamethrower to block the attack, but was largely unsuccessful. Magnezone repeated the attack, firing it just as quickly, and forced Numel to the ground in defeat.

"What the hell?" Warren asked. "That quickly?"

"The blue fire seems to exhaust Numel because it exerts more energy," Jake commented, explaining what Niko was thinking on the battlefield.

"Numel is unable to battle, Magnezone is the winner! Niko will now use his final Pokémon!"

"Lampent, you're up!" Niko shouted. "Use will-o-wisp!"

"I know this trick, Niko. Thunderbolt on the flames!" Molayne commanded. Magnezone conjured a bolt of electricity that struck the small blue fireballs, extinguishing them quickly. However, a flame burst came firing from behind them unexpectedly, hitting Magnezone and knocking it backwards, spinning as it took the hit.

"Lampent, use will-o-wisp again!" Niko commanded, thrusting his hand forward. Lampent moved her arms around a bit, whipping up blue fireballs and threw them at the disoriented Magnezone. A nasty burn mark set in on the front of Magnezone's metallic body. It fired a flash cannon that seemed to blind Lampent momentarily before landing a thunderbolt on top of the Lamp Pokémon. "Lampent!"

The ghost type slowly fell to the ground, smoke emitting from the top of her head. She looked up at Magnezone, who looked ready to end her. Then, she looked back at Niko, who smiled and nodded.

Lampent's body began to steam, emitting a loud hissing sound as a massive jet of blue flames shot out of the top of her head and at an angle, striking Magnezone directly and engulfing it. The Magnet Area Pokémon was rocketed high into the air before crashing down onto the ground, leaving a massive dent in the battlefield.

"Magnezone is unable to battle, Lampent is the winner! The victory goes to Niko from Pallet Town!" the judge declared.

"Yes!" Niko shouted, running to an exhausted Lampent and hugging her. "Inferno always works. I'm very proud of you!"

"Congrats, Niko," Molayne said, returning Magnezone and approaching his victorious opponent. "Every battle I try to learn something. And sometimes I need to re-learn other things. Today, I re-learned to now underestimate unevolved Pokémon. Especially unevolved fire types," he held out his hand. "Best of luck against the others."

"Thanks," Niko said, smiling while holding Lampent in his other arm.

"Niko!" Kukui shouted from the Champion's Box. "Your next battle will be against Olivia in two hours. Be ready for another four-vs-four battle!"

Niko looked up to the box and nodded. He would be.

* * *

"Welcome to the second round of the Champion's League. I'm your host, Kukui, and for this battle we have the champion of the Lanakila Conference, Niko from Pallet Town, now up against the second member of the Elite 4—Akala Island Kahuna Olivia. It will be a four-on-four battle. Niko had taken time to rest up and change his Pokémon as necessary. This should be an exciting battle with plenty of awesome moves to be seen!"

The battlefield changed, Niko noticed, from a steel-coated one to an ordinary rocky terrain, with rocks littered everywhere. He felt just as comfortable against Olivia—he had defeated her before, and that was without his reserves. He could do it again.

"Niko!" the Kahuna shouted as she waved to him, accidentally dropping her four pokéballs onto the ground. "Oops! Sorry," she said, bending over to pick them up again. "I hate when that happens…I guess I need a new belt. Anyway! I'm excited to battle you again. But I warn you, I'm not the same trainer you battled at the Ruins of Life."

"I know you're not," Niko said with a smirk. "I'm ready for this."

"Good," Olivia said calmly. The judge explained the rules of the match and, within minutes, the two were off. "Cradily, I choose you!"

"Chesnaught you're up!" Niko shouted. "Let's start off with hammer arm!" he shouted. During his time away, Pangoro had taught his former teammate a new move. The Spiny Armor Pokémon charged down the field, his arm glowing white.

"Sludge wave!" Olivia commanded. Cradily opened its mouth(?) and fired a wave of poisonous liquid in every direction. In response, Chesnaught slid to the ground and spun around, using his shell to protect him. Once the sludge had passed him by, he got back up and continued. "Smart move, Niko. Earth power!"

"Chesnaught, jump!" Niko shouted when a vibration surged underground. Chesnaught, still running, waited for it to burst before using the momentum to carry him into the air. In one fell swoop he landed his arm on top of Cradily, slamming its head into the ground. Cradily slowly got back up, now furious.

"Seed bomb!" Olivia and Niko shouted simultaneously. The two Pokémon fired small, glowing green spheres at one another, causing a miniature explosion and knocked Chesnaught backwards. "Stone edge!" Olivia continued.

"Slam it with hammer arm!" Niko commanded. Chesnaught's arm started illuminating white once more as he threw it against the stone edge, shattering the attack. "Use it on Cradily now!"

"Sludge wave!" Olivia commanded, only she waited for Chesnaught to get closer before issuing the command. The Barnacle Pokémon spewed sludge directly at Chesnaught, hitting him in the chest and knocking him onto his back, lodging his spikes into the ground. "Earth power!"

Cradily mercilessly sent vibrations into the ground and launched Chesnaught into the air. When he landed, the Spiny Armor Pokémon landed on his side. He got up just before Cradily continued with stone edge and, while the rock type tried to strike with the move, slammed a powerful hammer arm into the side of Cradily's head, knocking the Barnacle Pokémon to the ground.

It came at a cost, though—Chesnaught was now poisoned.

"Cradily is unable to battle, Chesnaught is the winner!" the judge declared. "Member Olivia will now use her second Pokémon!"

"Armaldo, I choose you!" she said, summoning another familiar Pokémon. "Use X-scissor!"

Chesnaught, due to the poison, was more slow-moving than usual, and couldn't evade Armaldo's attack, which shot the Spiny Armor Pokémon into a nearby rock. The Plate Pokémon then charged again, this time with crush claw. He struck Chesnaught in the stomach, eliciting a loud groan from the grass type.

"Finish it off with X-scissor!"

"Chesnaught, spiky shield!" Niko shouted. Chesnaught attempted to spin around to use his shield, but was slow to do so, and was hit in the right side by X-scissor. He collapsed forward in defeat.

"Chesnaught is unable to battle, Armaldo is the winner! Niko will now use his second Pokémon!"

"Prinplup, you're up!" Niko shouted, summoning the Penguin Pokémon. "Let's win this, buddy. Use water pulse!"

"Stone edge!" Olivia shouted passionately. Armaldo slammed its tail into the ground, causing pointed stones to erupt in quick succession towards Prinplup, rendering the water pulse useless. In response, Prinplup used metal claw to shatter the rocks and instead charge at the fossilized Pokémon.

"Metal claw!" Niko commanded. Prinplup shot forward, his claws glowing bright gray as he attempted to strike at the Plate Pokémon. In response, Armaldo met Prinplup in the center of the field with crush claw. The two Pokémon stood there, holding onto each one to avoid taking damage from the other attack. Niko, however, had a way of ending this stalemate. "Hydro pump!"

Prinplup released a powerful, high-pressured jet of water directly at Armaldo's face, shooting it backwards where it crashed into a rock close to Olivia.

"Now, drill peck!" Niko commanded. His beak extending, Prinplup charged at Armaldo, who used stone edge to quickly halt the Penguin Pokémon in his tracks, as Prinplup slammed into the closest one on accident and fell to the ground.

"X-scissor!" Olivia said. Armaldo crossed its arms, creating a bright red "X" mark, and fired it at Prinplup, dragging him backwards on the rocky terrain. "And use crush claw!"

"Hydro pump!" Niko roared. Prinplup, still on the ground, hit Armaldo in mid-air with the blast of water, launching his opponent even higher. When Armaldo crashed into the ground, it was over.

"Armaldo is unable to battle, Prinplup is the winner! Olivia will now use her third Pokémon!"

"Probopass, I choose you!" Olivia commanded, summoning a large Pokémon that resembled an Easter Island head, only with a mustache. "Use earth power!"

"Prinplup, water pulse!" Niko commanded. The Penguin Pokémon charged at Probopass. He was somewhat exhausted from the battle with Armaldo but wasn't about to give up just yet. He conjured a pulsating orb of water and fired it at Probopass, only for him to get hit by an underground vibration in the process. "Hydro pump!"

"Dazzling gleam!" Olivia commanded. A bright pink light enveloped the area around them, knocking Prinplup back and cancelling his move. "And use power gem now!"

"Prinplup!" Niko shouted. The Penguin Pokémon slowly got back up, only to be stricken with fast-moving pink gems. He collapsed forward in defeat.

"Prinplup is unable to battle, Probopass is the winner! Niko will now use his third Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Torterra, you're up!" Niko roared, summoning the Continent Pokémon. "Use earthquake!"

"Dazzling gleam!" Olivia commanded. While the earth aggressively shook, Probopass once again released a bright pink light from its body, forcing Torterra to close his eyes. Suddenly he felt the earth rumble underneath him—earth power struck him, but he hardly seemed to feel it.

"Leaf storm!" Niko commanded. This attack—a vortex of leaves—was quickly met with power gem, which managed to minimize the power of the leaves by blocking some of them that were in the path of Probopass' attack. "Earthquake again!"

"Earth power!" Olivia commanded. Probopass quickly slammed its body into the ground, causing the battlefield to shake underneath it, just before Torterra slammed his feet onto the ground. Just like before, he felt a quick _bump_ slightly move him, but it hardly seemed to have an effect on him. "And dazzling gleam!"

As soon as Torterra took the hit, Niko thought of something else. He knew what his last Pokémon would be, should Torterra fall. He also had a solid idea of who Olivia's last Pokémon would be. Given this, he knew he could win, and this next move could determine the entire outcome of the match.

He lifted his Z-ring and inserted Groundium-Z. "Torterra," he said, catching the attention of the Continent Pokémon. "You want to give this a shot?" Without seeing it, Torterra stomped his feet on the ground—yes, he did. "Alright, then! Use Tectonic Rage!"

"Probopass, flash cannon!" Olivia shouted, almost desperately. Torterra dug into the ground, disappearing completely. Olivia knew how this move worked—it'd be hard to avoid. But she had to try. As soon as Torterra erupted from underground to hit Probopass, the Compass Pokémon unleashed dazzling gleam, which knocked Torterra backwards. However, the damage to her Pokémon was done, and the Compass Pokémon fell backward in defeat.

"Probopass is unable to battle, Torterra is the winner! Olivia will now use her fourth and final Pokémon!"

"Wow…" Warren said with surprise. "He's making quick work of her!"

Charlotte smiled. "Yeah he is."

Niko could tell Torterra was exhausted. He had practiced the poses for Z-moves—only three at that—but actually using the move for the first time took a toll on him. This next battle was going to be tough. "Torterra, I know you're tired. We can win this either way, but do you want to continue?"

Torterra thought about it for a moment and nodded. Niko smiled.

"Lycanroc, I choose you!" Olivia shouted, summoning the Wolf Pokémon that Niko was familiar with. "Use stone edge!"

"Torterra, leaf storm!" Niko commanded. The vortex of leaves was weaker than before, and barely made it through the pointed stones blocking its way. The stones then struck Torterra's underbelly, causing him to grunt in a low tone as he tried to keep himself together.

"Accelerock!" Olivia commanded. Swiftly, the midday form of Lycanroc charged at his opponent, striking Torterra just before taking an energy ball to the side and knocking it to the ground. "Use rock slide!"

"Earthquake!" Niko commanded. Lycanroc leapt into the air just before the ground shook aggressively, releasing nearly a dozen rocks and pummeling Torterra with them. To finish, Lycanroc charged down at Torterra from midair with accelerock, striking the Continent Pokémon on his shell.

"Torterra is unable to battle, Lycanroc is the winner! Niko will now use his final Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"I'm proud of you, Torterra. It takes courage to continue like that. Aggron, you're up!"

Warren nodded. "That's a really good choice," he said, noticing a worried look on Charlotte's face. "If he mega evolves, he'll be fine. He can win this battle without it, too."

"I know, I just don't like it when he does, that's all," she said, severely disliking Niko's strange connection to mega evolution energy.

"Aggron, mega evolve!" Niko said almost immediately. The Iron Armor Pokémon, now enveloped by the energy from Niko's Key Stone, transformed into a massive hunk of sentient metal. Mega Aggron roared at Lycanroc and, in response, Olivia whipped out her Z-ring.

"I'm sure you'll remember this, Niko," Olivia said. "Lycanroc, use Continental Crush!"

Lycanroc leapt into the air, gathering rocks from all over the battlefield to create a massive stone that it eventually threw at Mega Aggron.

"Automotize!" Niko said, which made his friends and family tilt their heads in confusion. Mega Aggron took the attack, but hardly seemed effected by it. "Now, iron head!"

Mega Aggron charged forward, the plates covering his head bursting with metallic energy. He struck Lycanroc, who stayed still to use stone edge, and knocked the Wolf Pokémon backwards.

"And iron tail!" Niko commanded. Mega Aggron spun around and slammed his tail into Lycanroc, rocketing it into a nearby rock. "Automotize again!"

"Lycanroc, accelerock!" Olivia shouted. The Wolf Pokémon burst forward to strike Mega Aggron from the side. The Iron Armor Pokémon took the hit but hardly seemed effected by it and grabbed Lycanroc by the paw.

"Iron head!" Niko roared. Aggron slammed it head against Lycanroc's, throwing it into the ground. In a surprisingly swift set of moves, Mega Aggron defeated Olivia's ace Pokémon.

"Lycanroc is unable to battle, Aggron is the winner!" the judge declared, "The winner is Niko from Pallet Town!"

"And Niko is again the winner, folks!" Kukui shouted excitedly. "At this rate, he might make it all the way to the Champion," he said with a teasing wink to Hau, who responded with an eager smile. "Niko, the next battle will be against Acerola in a couple of hours. Take a rest, and we'll see you then!"

Aggron reverted to his normal form as he turned to run and hug Niko. "You did great, buddy. I've never seen that kind of energy from you. Well, I've never felt it, that is," he said, slightly exhausted, but only from using the Key Stone—not from any of the hits Mega Aggron took. Olivia and her defeated Lycanroc walked up to Niko. She held out a hand.

"You did amazing, Niko. If I had money to bet, I'd put you down as the next Champion of Alola."

"Thanks, Olivia. I appreciate that."

"Good luck against Acerola. She's tough, you'll want to be on your toes with her."

"I will. Thanks!" he said as the Kahuna and Elite 4 member turned to leave the battlefield.

* * *

"Two down, two to go, Niko!" Warren said during lunch.

"And the next two will be the toughest," Niko said quietly.

"Do you know who you want to use against Acerola?" Charlotte asked.

"I have an idea. I don't have too many Pokémon that can effectively take on ghost types, so I'm going to get creative I think."

"Raw power?" JJ asked, getting a nod from his friend. "Gotcha. I think you can win with that. You have a lot of Pokémon with raw strength on their side."

"Nice use of the Z-move against Probopass," Kaila said. "Also, your Aggron is so adorable and strong! I want one!"

Niko laughed. He had never once considered the massive Iron Armor Pokémon as "cute," but he nodded and mentioned that Kaila should visit the Hoenn region, where he caught his. Kaila's eyes lit up again, and Niko, Brittany, JJ, and Jake told her stories of their adventures in Hoenn to pass the time before Niko's third match of the day.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this episode! The battles went by sort of quickly, but that's okay I think.**

 **A** **close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on the sister site to this one. If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	54. Ghost and flying

**Episode 54: Ghost and flying**

"Welcome to the third round of the Champion's League! I'm your host, Kukui, who will be announcing the two trainers facing off in the third round. We have Niko from Pallet Town, the Champion of the Lanakila Conference, versus Acerola, a Trial Captain and member of the Alola Elite 4! Like the first two matches, this will be a 4-on-4 Pokémon battle. Now, when the judge has explained the rules of the match, we'll begin!"

"Hehe!" Acerola said as she giggled. "Hey Niko! I'm excited to battle you today! You were pretty impressive against Olivia and Molayne," her expressed turned to a smirk. "I will not go down as easily. Dhelmise, I choose you!" she said, summoning a large anchor-shaped Pokémon that Niko recognized from a battle during the Lanakila Conference.

"Pangoro, you're up!" Niko shouted. He was ready for Acerola. "Use crunch!"

"Dhelmise!" Acerola said with a wide smile on her face. Use earthquake!" The ground shook heavily as Dhelmise, with a heavy amount of weight behind it, slammed into the ground, causing the purple-carpeted floor underneath them to shake viciously. Pangoro halted his attack, standing entirely still as he tried to maintain balance. Then Dhelmise leapt into the air, spinning its body and gaining a deadly momentum "Heavy slam!" Acerola shouted.

"Pangoro, roll to the side and use crunch!" Niko said. Maybe Pangoro wasn't the best choice.

But it was too late—the Daunting Pokémon couldn't get out in time, and Dhelmise struck him with incredible force, rocketing him backwards, past Niko, and into the wall near the tunnel.

"Pangoro is unable to battle, Dhelmise is the winner!" the judge declared. "Niko will now use his second Pokémon!"

"Incineroar, I choose you!" Niko shouted. _Maybe should've started with him actually_. "Use flamethrower!"

"Phantom force!" Acerola shouted with glee. The Sea Creeper Pokémon, out of nowhere, disappeared, dodging the flames originating from Incineroar's waistbelt.

Niko and the Heel Pokémon looked around, waiting for something to happen. Suddenly, Niko noticed a flickering behind his Pokémon. "Darkest lariat!" Incineroar spun in place, creating a fiery tornado that struck the reappearing Dhelmise and knocked it back. Incineroar stopped, turned to his opponent and, on Niko's command, belted out a powerful jet of flame that struck Dhelmise, causing it to crash into the floor in defeat.

"Dhelmise is unable to battle, Incineroar is the winner!" the judge declared. "Acerola will now use her second Pokémon!"

"Mimikyu, I choose you!" she shouted, summoning a familiar, ragged-looking Pokémon. "Hehe, play rough!" Acerola said with a wink. Mimikyu charged at Incineroar, who attempted to use darkest lariat but was out-sped by the Disguise Pokémon, who slammed its tail like a whip across the Heel Pokémon's face, knocking Incineroar back.

"Fire fang!" Niko shouted. Incineroar grabbed Mimikyu, mid-attack, and bit down on its tail before spinning around with darkest lariat and throwing it into the ground. Mimikyu tumbled onto the purple carpeted battlefield like a ragdoll before leaping into the air and re-orienting itself, its head now tilting to the side.

It then made a sharpening sound that sounded similar to Braviary using hone claws before charging at Incineroar a second time with play rough. However, it attacked at his heels this time, tripping the fire type and knocking him to the ground before spinning upwards and to the side and slamming its tail a second time on Incineroar's back. He let out a groan as Mimikyu continued "playing rough" with him.

"Incineroar, get up!" Niko shouted. "And use flamethrower!"

Incineroar slowly did, trying to grab Mimikyu but missing. He fired flames from his belt that ultimately missed. Mimikyu had dodged the attack and shot to the side where it used dazzling gleam, blinding Incineroar temporarily and allowing the Disguise Pokémon to strike again with play rough, on Acerola's command. This time Incineroar was knocked on his back, with Mimikyu slamming its tail onto his chest aggressively.

"Hone claws, Mimikyu!" Acerola said with a wink. The Disguise Pokémon stepped back, sharpening its claws while the Heel Pokémon attempted to get back up. He was panting slightly by this point—the little Pokémon was really doing a number on him. It made Niko wonder if using the Z-move would be worthwhile here. Realizing it wouldn't be, he continued.

"Darkest lariat!" Niko shouted. Incineroar nodded, spinning across the field and trying to slam into Mimikyu who dodged his attack each time. Mimikyu then waited for the attack to finish before using dazzling gleam again, surprising Incineroar and using the opportunity to finish him off with play rough, slamming its tail into this stomach and knocking him decisively to the ground.

"Incineroar is unable to battle, Mimikyu is the winner! Niko will now use his third Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Return, Mimikyu," Acerola said with a grin. "Froslass, I choose you!"

"Rampardos, I choose you!" Niko said without missing a beat, summoning the Head Butt Pokémon. Acerola was making this easy for him now. "Use flamethrower!"

"Thunderbolt, hehe!" the Elite 4 member shouted. Froslass charged up with electricity and fired it downwards onto Rampardos just as he released a stream of fire from his mouth. The attack hit, causing him to roar out from the pain. In his anger, Rampardos charged at Froslass, his head bursting with energy. Niko didn't issue this command, but he knew what the rock type was doing.

"HEAD SMASH!" Niko roared. Rampardos charged faster than he ever had before towards Froslass, who simply moving out of the way and fired a shadow ball at Rampardos' side, interrupting his entire momentum and forcing him to crash into the ground. "Flamethrower!"

"Ice shard!" Acerola commanded. Before Rampardos could react, Froslass fired nearly a dozen small, sharp pieces of ice at the Head Butt Pokémon, causing him to groan in a low tone. "Now use blizzard!"

A cold air mixed with bits of ice and snow covered the field, with the wind blowing directly at Rampardos. He slowly got up, the blizzard not doing much to him, and blasted a jet of fire directly at his opponent, who disappeared into the blizzard, leaving Rampardos to look around. He could take whatever hit Froslass threw at him—he himself knew that—it was just a matter of when.

Then he felt electricity surge through him. Thunderbolt. In response, Niko roared.

"Turn to the right and use head smash!" Niko shouted. Rampardos turned sharply, noticing Froslass there. In retaliation, he quickly lowered his head and, in a single bound, lunged forward and struck the ice type with his red-plated head. Froslass rocketed backwards, slamming into the wall on the side of the battlefield, falling to the ground in defeat.

"Froslass is unable to battle, Rampardos is the winner!" the judge declared. "Acerola will now use her fourth Pokémon!"

"Drifblim, I choose you!" Acerola shouted.

"Rampardos, return," Niko said. _I might need you for Mimikyu_. "Eelektross, you're up!" _Luckily choosing Pokémon with raw power is giving me an advantage._ He thought as he summoned the EleFish Pokémon. "Use coil!"

"Drifblim, will-o-wisp!" Acerola commanded. Niko and Eelektross didn't react—they let the attack hit, leaving a small burn near Eelektross' left fin. "And use shadow ball!"

"Uncoil and use thunderbolt to block it!" Niko shouted. Eelektross unfurled himself and, using some of the electricity he generated, struck Drifblim, knocking the Blimp Pokémon backwards. "And follow up with wild charge!"

"Psychic!" Acerola shouted. Just before Eelektross hit his opponent with the attack, Drifblim's eyes began to glow purple. He threw the EleFish Pokémon into the ground powerfully, forcing Eelektross to land on his burn, which made him groan. However, Eelektross was tougher than that. He slowly got up and struck Drifblim with charge beam, directly on the yellow "x" mark on the ghost type's face. "Shadow ball!"

"Wild charge!" Niko shouted. Eelektross burst forward, enveloped by light yellow electrical energy, and struck the Blimp Pokémon just as it fired shadow ball. Both attacks hit both Pokémon, causing them to rocket in opposite directions, and at an angle. Drifblim shot higher into the air, and Eelektross crashed into the ground. However, by the time Drifblim regained its composure, it faced a charge beam to the face that quickly sent it hurtling into the ground.

"Drifblim is unable to battle, Eelektross is the winner! Acerola will now use her final Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Hehe, you're doing well, Niko! But it's over for you, now," she said with a friendly wink. "Mimikyu, come back out! Use dazzling gleam!"

"Coil, Eelektross!" Niko shouted. The EleFish Pokémon wrapped himself up, wincing from the damage of the pink light. Moments later, he felt Mimikyu slamming its tail against him, but he waited. And waited. And waited. "Now! Use wild charge!"

Eelektross unfurled himself and began charging at the Disguise Pokémon. Just then, Niko saw Z-energy transfer to it. Acerola was using a Z-move.

"Let's Snuggle Forever!" Acerola shouted with a giggle. Mimikyu then shot around the battlefield at a pace Eelektross' eyes couldn't keep up with. Then, from above and behind, the Disguise Pokémon landed on Eelektross and enveloped him with its Pikachu-shaped rag. Mimikyu didn't let go, and Niko could see his Pokémon trying to resist. However, Mimikyu then threw Eelektross out of its rag. The EleFish Pokémon tumbled across the ground in defeat.

"Eelektross is unable to battle, Mimikyu is the winner!" the judge declared. "Niko will now use his final Pokémon!"

"Rampardos, you're up!" Niko shouted. "Well, Acerola, this _has_ been fun, but I think we're about to finish this," he held out his own Z-ring with Rockium-Z inside. "You ready, buddy?" he asked. The Head Butt Pokémon nodded. Before the battle, he had shown each of the Pokémon he wanted to use in this battle how to perform some of the Z-moves that they were capable of.

Niko then performed the poses—alongside Rampardos—necessary for Rockium-Z to transfer energy from his ring to Rampardos' body, causing the Head Butt Pokémon to emit an orange aura around himself. Niko then shouted for him to use Continental Crush. Rampardos leapt high into the air, causing any and all nearby rocks to collide together and form a massive one above his head. With whatever energy he had left, he thrust the rock down on Mimikyu, who attempted to use dazzling gleam to throw off Rampardos but wasn't fast enough and as a result was crushed by the rock.

Rampardos successfully landed back on the ground, albeit very exhausted. The rock shattered, leaving bits and pieces around. Niko and his Pokémon waited. The entire stadium waited with baited breath for how Mimikyu reacted to the attack.

It simply lay there, unable to move.

"Mimikyu is unable to battle, Rampardos is the winner! The victory goes to Niko from Pallet Town!" the judge declared.

"And for the third time today, Niko has defeated a member of Alola's Elite 4!" Kukui shouted excitedly. "Niko! Your final battle today will be against the final member—Kahili—in a couple of hours. Please be ready by then, cousin!"

* * *

"You've never made it this far!" Warren said as he hugged Niko when the latter arrived outside of the tunnel and into the lobby of the stadium, where his friends and family were waiting for him.

"I knew you could do it," Charlotte said, hugging him.

"Thanks. Now I have the last one—maybe the hardest one, too," Niko said, reflecting on his battle with Kahili a few months prior. "Kahili is tough. She used to be an Island Champion, before they had the Alola League. I've battled her before and she isn't to be messed with."

"But you didn't have your reserves. _And_ she uses flying types. You can win against those no problem!" JJ commented.

"True, and true. I'm just not going in with expectations, I guess," Niko said with a shrug. I need to go talk to the Pokémon that I'll be battling with, I'll see you all in a bit alright?"

They all nodded, turning to one another. Niko seemed different now. He was serious, not like before Acerola's battle, where he was feeling high on life. No, this was different.

In the Champion's Box, Kukui heard a knock. Turning, the door opened to reveal a portly man in a pin-striped suit. He smirked upon seeing the Professor, the remaining Elite 4, and the Kahunas. "Afternoon, Kukui."

"Ferdinand Diamond. Always a pleasure," Kukui said in a diplomatic tone. "Are you here to see Kahili's battle?"

"Yes. It's against the same trainer that she defeated a few months back—Niko, right? That kid is something else. A pain in my ass, and with high standards that shouldn't exist."

"A pain in your ass? Niko?" Kukui asked incredulously.

"His little girlfriend stole one of my Pokémon. They're criminals, Kukui."

"I'm sure that's just some mis—"

"STOLE."

Kukui backed off. He never enjoyed interacting with Ferdinand Diamond. He was the sort of person that, no matter what, always got what he wanted, in contrast to Kukui, who had to work for his success. If Diamond didn't control most business interests in Alola, he'd say more, but he didn't want to anger the absurdly-wealthy man.

"Sorry, I let my anger get the best of me. I hope Kahili beats the stuffing out of this kid, just like she did last time. He's weak, you know, and the weak don't succeed in this world."

"He just single-handedly defeated Molayne, Olivia, and Acerola," Kukui explained.

"Bah, they're nothing," Diamond said, right in front of said Elite 4 members. Olivia looked ready to punch him in the face, but Hala calmed her down, holding an arm out in front of her. "Kahili will win, no doubt about it."

* * *

"Welcome, one and all, to the final match of the Champion's League! Today we have the final member of Alola's Elite 4, Kahili, up against the challenger, the Champion of the Lanakila Conference, Niko! If you haven't been paying attention today, Niko has defeated each other Elite 4 member in quick succession, and without too much difficulty," he said before eying Ferdinand Diamond, "Now, in a 4-on-4 battle, he will face the final Elite 4 member and, should he win, get the opportunity to challenge the Champion of Alola—Hau!"

The audience was berserk as Niko and Kahili approached the field. The woman in teal-colored hair and tennis garb approached the side opposite Niko's. Their battlefield resembled a tennis field, only without the net in the middle. The judge explained the rules and, within moments, both trainers summoned their first Pokémon.

"Luxray, I choose you!"

"Braviary, you're up!" Kahili said. "I'm excited for this re-match, Niko. Now you're not confined to a specific team, right? I want to see you at your best now. Can you do that for me?"

"Of course," Niko said with a smirk. "Luxray, use electric terrain!" he shouted. Quickly, the field burst into a bright yellow hue, with small sparks emitting in random places. "Now, use discharge!"

"Braviary, crush claw!" Kahili shouted. The Valiant Pokémon charged down at its opponent, making its way through the discharge and, its talons bursting into a blue aura, slashed powerfully at Luxray. "And superpower!"

With the same talons, Braviary lifted Luxray high into the air before dropping the Gleam Eyes Pokémon, dropping him to the ground. Then, Braviary dove directly downwards, its body bursting into a light blue aura again as it used brave bird and crashed into Luxray, causing a cloud of dust to erupt around them.

Luxray slowly got back up, groaning as he did. The series of attacks swiftly landed on him hurt him more than he or Niko realized at first.

"Use discharge again!" Niko commanded. Luxray obeyed, releasing as much electricity as he could, paralyzing Braviary as a result. "Now thunder fang!"

"Hone claws!" Kahili shouted. Though Braviary could barely move, it gathered enough strength to scrape its claws against the ground, sharpening them for its next attack. It took the thunder fang and a subsequent discharge from Luxray before releasing himself from the paralysis and flying back into the air.

"Discharge again!" Niko shouted.

"Brave bird!" Kahili commanded. The Valiant Pokémon burst into a bright blue aura and charged downwards at its opponent, flying through the electricity and crashing into Luxray. Just before impact, Niko commanded the Gleam Eyes Pokémon to use thunder fang. The resulting collision of attacks created a larger explosion than before.

Once the smoke cleared, Niko and Kahili found their Pokémon laying against one another in defeat.

"Luxray and Braviary are both unable to battle! Both trainers will use their second Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Return," they both said. "Mandibuzz, I choose you!" Kahili added moments later.

"Glalie, you're up buddy!" Niko said, sending out his overexcited Face Pokémon. "I missed you too. Now let's win this. Glalie, use ice beam!"

"Mandibuzz, air slash!" Kahili commanded. The dark type flew into the air, firing light blue blades of air from the tips of its wings and striking Glalie, who blocked using protect. The ice beam missed. "Now use toxic!"

Mandibuzz charged forward towards Glalie before spewing toxic material everywhere. The Bone Vulture Pokémon was faster than Niko had expected, but not stronger. Glalie winced from the poison getting all over him. _We won't make that mistake a second time_ , Niko thought. "Use ice beam!"

Glalie fired a stream of ice towards Mandibuzz, following the dark type as it flew in the air. Eventually Glalie faked it out, pausing the ice beam and quickly shifting to the right. He fired it a second time and struck Mandibuzz' right wing, forcing it to crash land onto the tennis court-battlefield.

"Air slash!" Kahili shouted.

"Double team," Niko said calmly. Glalie duplicated himself nearly a dozen times. The air slash took out a few of them just as Glalie had conjured them. "And ice beam!"

All of the Glalie copies used ice beam, firing at Mandibuzz wherever it went. Eventually freezing it from the consecutive attacks. The Bone Vulture Pokémon, who had tried to escape by flying directly into the air, crash landed and shattered the ice covering it. Mandibuzz tried to get back up but collapsed in defeat.

"Mandibuzz is unable to battle, Glalie is the winner!" the judge declared. "Kahili will now use her third Pokémon!"

"Oricorio, I choose you!" Kahili shouted, summoning a red-colored Oricorio. _Fire type_ , Niko thought to himself. "Use revelation dance!"

The Oricorio danced around, generating flames around its body that it eventually used to fire at Glalie, who attempted to block with protect but failed due to the poison taking control of him. He winced as the poison and flames did a combined number on him. Oricorio, not missing a beat, fired a series of air slashes at him. This time he tried to block with double team, but the Baile Style-bird wouldn't let up, dousing Glalie in attacks.

"Teeter dance!" Kahili commanded. Oricorio performed a somewhat clumsy dance number that Glalie had difficulty following, ultimately confusing him as a result. "And now revelation dance!" she shouted after the Face Pokémon attempted to use ice beam, only to wobble to the side on accident and misfire. Oricorio then performed its usual dance, generating flames that it shot at Glalie, enveloping him in them and knocking him onto his back, now in defeat.

"Glalie is unable to battle, Oricorio is the winner! Niko will now use his third Pokémon!"

"That's more like it," Ferdinand Diamond said. "See? Kahili can win, Kukui. You have too much confidence in this joke of a kid."

Kukui rolled his eyes before watching the battle unfold more.

"Boldore, I choose you!" Niko shouted, summoning the Ore Pokémon. "Use smack down!" he shouted. Boldore summoned a golden orb with a rock in the middle that swiftly fired at Oricorio, hitting the Dancing Pokémon just as it used revelation dance. "And stone edge!" Niko commanded. Boldore slammed his foot onto the ground, causing pointed stones to erupt out of the ground towards Oricorio, who managed to fly out of the way and attempt to use teeter dance, to which Boldore hardly seemed effected. The Ore Pokémon, using sound to detect his opponent's movements, had to rely on Niko to see where Oricorio was going n the air. "Wait for it…" Niko said calmly. "And now! Use smack down to the right and a little bit in the air!"

Boldore fired the golden orb, missing Oricorio by a hair. The Dancing Pokémon then shot down towards Boldore from the side. However, he _could_ hear the air separating around something and, stomping his foot, summoned stone edge to strike Oricorio in the chest, rocketing it high into the air.

"Smack down!" Niko commanded. Boldore shifted to the side and fired a third golden orb that quickly brought the Dancing Pokémon crashing into the tennis court-battlefield.

"Oricorio is unable to battle, Boldore is the winner!" the judge declared. "Kahili will now use her fourth and final Pokémon!"

"I'm impressed, Niko. I figured you were tougher than you appeared last time we battled. No one wins the Lumiose Conference and isn't at least a decent battler. But let's see if you can still keep up with this last one. You'll remember Toucannon!" she said, summoning a familiar-looking bird Pokémon.

"Boldore, return," Niko said calmly. "Manectric, you're up!" he said, sending out the Discharge Pokémon. "Use howl!"

"Beak blast!" Kahili shouted. Niko knew how long this sort of attack took to warm up, and promptly asked Manectric to switch it up and use discharge. Manectric obeyed, releasing electricity in every direction possible and causing the beak blast to prematurely explode on contact.

"Wild charge!"

"Rock blast, Toucannon!" Kahili commanded. Surprisingly, Toucannon fired rocks _from its mouth_ in Manectric's direction, but the Discharge Pokémon largely ignored them. Manectric didn't get the chance to battle with his trainer much and wasn't about to lose that opportunity by losing the battle. He also knew that Toucannon was the last Pokémon—Niko mentioned that this Pokémon would be Kahili's strongest.

Nevertheless, Manectric struck Toucannon, forcing energy to surge through the Cannon Pokémon. Toucannon angrily slammed its massive, curved beak into Manectric, knocking him into the ground aggressively.

"Bullet seed!" Kahili commanded.

"Discharge!" Niko shouted. Both attacks struck, repelling one another, but severely hurting Toucannon. Niko then realized he could finish this battle right now, in this moment. He looked down at his Z-ring, holding the Electrium-Z that he got from Sophocles. It was time.

Kahili also noticed this and lifted her own Z-ring. "Toucannon! Use Supersonic Skystrike!" she yelled. The Z-energy transferred immediately to Toucannon, enveloping it in an orange aura. The Cannon Pokémon shot into the air before preparing a quick descent.

Niko also lifted his Z-ring and, alongside Manectric, performed the Electrium-Z poses. "Gigavolt Havoc!" Niko shouted. Manectric collected a massive sphere of electricity and fired it just as Toucannon crashed into him with its Z-move.

A massive explosion erupted. It took a while for the smoke to clear, but when it did, it found Toucannon laying on the ground, unconscious. Manectric was barely standing, wobbling in fact. He, Niko, and Kahili all turned to the judge, who issued the declaration.

"Toucannon is unable to battle, Manectric is the winner! And the victory goes to Niko from Pallet Town!"

Niko wasn't surprised until it dawned on him what this particular victory meant. He was challenging the Champion of Alola now. He was at the peak of his performance.

* * *

Charlotte greeted him with a warm hug as he met up with his friends and family for the fourth time that day. Warren and JJ were losing their minds from the excitement of it all. Just before he left the stadium, Niko shook Kahili's hand.

"Good job, Niko. If anyone deserves to challenge Hau, it's you," she said with a smile. "I don't normally have this much respect for another trainer. You're different, though. You're unique. Don't forget that, alright?"

"Thanks, Kahili. I appreciate that."

"Niko!" Kukui shouted from the Champion's Box. "Your battle against Hau will commence tomorrow afternoon! Get some rest, cousin. We'll see you then!" he said as the mic cut out.

"Well?" Kukui asked as he turned to Ferdinand Diamond.

"He…Hau, beat him," Diamond said, turning to Hau, who sat in silence. He smiled warmly.

"I'll do my best. But Kukui's right—he is tough."

"You're tougher," Diamond said bluntly.

Later that evening, Niko laid down on his bed. After four consecutive battles, he was exhausted. More so than he had imagined originally. Minutes later, he felt Charlotte laying down next to him.

"How're you feeling?"

"Nervous, excited," Niko said. "I didn't think I'd finally be making it this far. I'm not sure what to think, honestly."

"Just do your best. We're all here for you," Charlotte said, kissing him on the cheek. "And so are your Pokémon.

"I know. I don't know anything about Hau."

"So just use what Pokémon feel right to you. Definitely use Venusaur, though."

"Oh, without a doubt. He's itching to battle again, I bet," Niko said.

"Well, goodnight, Champion of Alola," Charlotte said before promptly falling asleep. Niko wanted to as well, but his mind kept racing. The only thing on his mind was the battle the following day. His toughest battle was about to begin.

* * *

 **Author's Note: If all goes well, i'll be posting the final two episodes tonight. Hope you enjoyed this one-and the next two!**

 **A** **close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on the sister site to this one. If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	55. The Champion of Alola

**Episode 55: The Champion of Alola**

"Alola, one and all!" Kukui declared. "The moment we've all been waiting for! The battle for Champion of Alola!"

The crowd went wild as the battlefield—an ordinary field, with the only different being that the domed ceiling above the stadium was now open, revealing the sun for the first time during the conference.

"In one corner we have the reigning Champion, Hau of Iki Town!" Kukui shouted. The crowd cheered loudly for the young, dark-skinned man in yellow floral shorts and a black T-shirt entering the battlefield. "In the other, we have the former champion of the Lumiose Conference in Kalos and the champion of this year's Lanakila Conference, who only yesterday defeated the Alola Elite 4: Niko of Pallet Town!"

Niko walked through the tunnel and entered the battlefield. Only minutes before was he speaking with Charlotte about the battle, hugging her tightly. She helped him get to this point, in more ways than one. In his mind, this battle was largely for her.

He looked up. There were more people here than he had imagined. _Are Champion battles not normal?_ He wondered. If that was the case, then was he unique?

"Hey, Niko," Hau shouted from the opposite end of the battlefield. "You've impressed me so far. I was wondering if you'd be able to make it this far, and I'm glad you did. It's not often I get a challenger during the normal conference season," he smirked, "so let's make it count!"

It was to be a six-on-six Pokémon battle—first trainer to defeat the other's full team would not only be declared the winner of the battle, but also the Champion of the Alola region.

Niko could feel his heart beating. In that moment, he couldn't see or hear anything else.

"Begin!"

"Floatzel, I choose you!" Hau shouted, summoning an orange-colored Sea Weasel Pokémon with a yellow, tubular float sack around its neck.

"Swellow, you're up!" Niko said, sending out the Swallow Pokémon. "Use aerial ace!"

"Aqua jet!" Hau commanded. The Sea Weasel Pokémon shot forward, its body entirely contained in a coat of water. Floatzel collided powerfully with the flying type, repelling both in opposite directions from the impact of the attacks. "Hydro pump!"

"Double team!" Niko shouted. Swellow duplicated himself to effectively dodge the attack before moving in with aerial ace again, slashing at Floatzel head-on. "Now wing attack!"

"Ice beam!" Hau commanded. Floatzel waited for Swellow to once again hit before firing an ice beam, freezing his right wing and causing him to crash-land into the ground. "Now hydro pump!"

Floatzel fired another high-pressured burst of water at Swellow, forcing him backwards through the dirt before bringing the Swallow Pokémon to a stop in front of Niko. Swellow slowly got back up, still able to fight. "We haven't battled in a while, buddy, but you can do this. Use aerial ace!"

Swellow cawed out angrily, rocketing straight forward towards his opponent. Floatzel did the same, only with aqua jet. Niko then commanded him to use double team, creating the illusion that he was still aiming for Floatzel. One the Sea Weasel passed through a copy and realized the mistake, Swellow spun around and struck the Floatzel in the back, crashing into the ground powerfully.

"Hydro pump!" Hau commanded. Floatzel spun around and shot a blast of water at Swellow, knocking him out of the air and onto the ground, now in defeat.

"Swellow is unable to battle, Floatzel is the winner! Challenger Niko will now use his second Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Ribombee, I choose you!" Niko commanded, summoning the Bee Fly Pokémon. "Use energy ball!"

"Freeze it with ice beam!" Hau commanded. Floatzel swiftly fired a stream of ice energy at his opponent, causing it to turn to ice before bursting open. "Use aqua jet into aqua tail!"

Floatzel surrounded itself in water before charging at Ribombee, who responded with dazzling gleam, blinding the Sea Weasel and causing it to crash into the ground in front of him. Ribombee then fired an energy ball downwards. It exploded on contact, causing Floatzel to groan.

"Ribombee, use stun spore!" Niko commanded.

"Hydro pump!" Hau cried out. Floatzel spun around and stood up with unusually fast reflexes and struck the tiny Pokémon with a hydro pump, knocking him backwards and nullifying the stun spore. Ribombee, regaining himself, fluttered forward and spun around Floatzel, trying to use his small size to confuse the Sea Weasel.

"Stun spore again!" Niko shouted. Ribombee spun around Floatzel, who tried to use aqua tail to swat him away. However, the Bee Fly Pokémon successfully landed the stun spore, stopping Floatzel from moving entirely. "Now use dazzling gleam!"

Ribombee conjured a bright pink light that knocked Floatzel off of his feet. The Bee Fly Pokémon followed up with an energy ball to the chest, knocking the Sea Weasel backwards and onto the ground.

"Floatzel is unable to battle, Ribombee is the winner! Champion Hau will now use his second Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"They're…oddly matched," Warren said. "Which makes me wonder what sets Hau apart from some of these other trainers. Why is he so powerful? What makes him so much stronger from the Elite 4?"

No one seemed to have an answer. None of them have ever fought anyone of Hau's caliber…ever. The closest would have been Charlotte, but she fought Hau's current opponent.

"Leafeon, I choose you!" Hau shouted, summoning a green, foxlike Pokémon with leaves for ears and a tail. "Quick attack!"

"Ribombee, dazzling gleam!" Niko commanded. As Leafeon darted towards the Bee Fly Pokémon, the latter conjured an incredibly bright light that caught it off guard, forcing it to crash to the side. "Now, pollen puff!" Niko shouted. He wanted to use stun spore, but he knew it would be useless on a grass type like Leafeon.

"Block it with leaf blade!" Hau commanded. Leafeon leapt forward, a long extended bright green blade protruded out and slashed at the ball of pollen, causing it to explode in the middle of the field, spreading the pollen everywhere. "Now use leaf blade again on Ribombee!"

"Energy ball!" Niko shouted. It wouldn't do much, but it would be enough to block the onslaught of blades coming at his Pokémon. Ribombee darted to the left after Leafeon tried to slash at him, and used pollen puff, hitting the Verdant Pokémon in the side. It wailed in a low tone before turning again and slashing with leaf blade. _How is this strategy not failing?_ Niko wondered. It seemed too simplistic, in his mind, for a Champion trainer like Hau. To be fair, he had his own simple strategies, but this one seemed _too_ simple. Especially against something as small and quick as Ribombee.

 _Small and quick…_ Niko thought again to himself. "Ribombee! Stay put and use dazzling gleam!"

Ribombee nodded, nearly taking a leaf blade to the head before he released the same pink light as earlier, knocking Leafeon backwards. Everything made sense to Niko now. "Alright buddy, we need to be careful," he said as Leafeon recollected itself. "Use Pollen puff again!"

"Charge at it and use leaf blade!" Hau shouted. Leafeon, only several yards away, charged at its opponent, slashing at the multiple pollen puffs coming at it. Once it was upon Ribombee, it landed a particularly powerful leaf blade directly on Ribombee's head, just as a pollen puff hit it in the chest. Ribombee crashed backwards into the ground, and Leafeon was sent in an archlike motion through the air and onto its back as well.

"Leafeon and Ribombee are both unable to battle, Niko and Hau will use their next Pokémon!"

"Incineroar, I choose you!"

"Tauros, you're up!" Hau shouted, summoning the bull-like Pokémon. "Use earthquake!"

"Darkest lariat, buddy!" Niko commanded, thrusting his fist forward. "You got it, fight through the attack! Ignore the pain!"

This wasn't much of an issue for a Pokémon like Incineroar who, with the exception of water, could take as much pain as necessary to win. He continued to charge forward, slamming his fiery tornado into Tauros' head, pushing the Wild Bull Pokémon backwards.

"Now double kick!" Niko commanded. Incineroar broke out of the spin and jumped slightly, spinning and slamming his foot against Tauros' side. Before he could say anything else, Tauros' head burst into a light gray color and it slammed into Incineroar's chest, knocking him onto his back.

"Earthquake!" Hau shouted. While on his back, Incineroar was far too vulnerable to the attack. Growling as he tried enduring the viciously quaking ground underneath him. Once it was over, he slowly got back up, a red, fiery aura surrounding him.

 _Blaze…_ Niko said. He rarely saw the starter abilities—Overgrow, Blaze, and Torrent—show up, but that meant that they were truly in a pinch and could access their true potential as grass, fire, or water types. "Incineroar, use flamethrower!"

"Block it with zen headbutt!" Hau commanded, knowing that the attack wouldn't affect Incineroar, merely repel the attack itself. However, it didn't work as well as the Champion had hoped, and left a burn mark on the Wild Bull Pokémon's forehead. "Earthquake!"

"Darkest lariat!" Niko roared. Incineroar charged forward, spinning and creating a miniature fiery tornado as he went. He collided into Tauros before, just like before, successfully landing not just one, but two powerful side kicks to each side of the normal type, slamming Tauros into the ground. "Well done!" Niko shouted, thrusting a fist into the air.

Meanwhile, at the Aether House, Gladion sat with some of his Pokémon, the Oranguru caretaker, and the Alolan Sandshrew that Warren and the others found. Watching Incineroar fight like that made him smirk.

"Niko, you definitely can win this with Incineroar."

"Tauros is unable to battle, Incineroar is the winner! Champion Hau will now send out his fourth Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Niko's in good shape right now," Warren said, sitting back. Poipole, who had been watching the entire time (and was for the most part silently watching), cheered loudly when Incineroar won the battle.

"But Blaze is only as a last resort," Jake commented. "That means Hau's Tauros really did a significant amount of damage to Incineroar. At least enough to activate that type of ability."

" _Bzzzt…Jake is correct. Incineroar is on the verge of fainting, it seems_ ," Rotomdex declared.

"It happened when Niko had Feraligatr," Brittany added, harkening back to Niko's victory over Fay in the Silver Conference. "Both Feraligatr and Charizard activated their abilities, and Niko managed to win with that."

Warren nodded. "Incineroar is pretty strong, though. He reminds me of Niko's Braviary, actually. Very similar attitudes about battling."

No one could disagree with this.

"Noivern, I choose you!" Hau shouted, summoning the Sound Wave Pokémon. "Use dragon pulse!"

"Darkest lariat!" Niko commanded. Defensively, Incineroar spun around as the wave of draconic energy shot into him. After the attack hit, Incineroar stopped to take a breath. Niko could tell he was exhausted. "Can you keep going?"

This was a stupid question. Of course he could. And he made it known to Niko when he turned and growled at him.

"Gotcha. Let's use flamethrower!"

"Air slash!" Hau shouted. The light blue blades of air shot downwards at the stream of fire, creating an explosion in the middle of the field. Incineroar then charged forward through the smoke before leaping into the air and using darkest lariat to power the rest of the jump towards Noivern. "Dragon pulse!"

The attack struck Incineroar on top of the head, disrupting his attack and forcing him back to the ground with a loud _thud_. The Heel Pokémon tried getting back up, only to collapse backwards in defeat.

"Incineroar is unable to battle, Noivern is the winner! Niko will now use his fourth Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Return. You did great, buddy. I'm really proud of you," Niko said with a smile. He meant that. "Now, for another powerhouse. Feraligatr, you're up buddy!" he shouted, throwing a pokéball into the air containing the Big Jaw Pokémon. "Use whirlpool!"

Feraligatr roared out, raising his hands and, with surprising speed, summoned a massive spinning vortex of water and threw it at Noivern, who forced it to burst with dark pulse.

"Let's get in closer, then. Use ice punch!" Niko commanded. Feraligatr charged at Noivern, taking long, heavy steps across the field. He was itching to battle since his last one. While he was running, he remembered Niko's pitch to the six of them that morning…

 _"Guys…" Niko said, looking out at all of his Pokémon, but at six in particular. "We're challenging the most powerful trainer in Alola—Hau. In fact, this is the strongest trainer we've ever faced, I think. For that, I want to thank all of you. Really, it's not me that wins these battles. It's all of you._

 _"After seven years, we might finally make it to the pinnacle of Pokémon training. Tomorrow, we might finally reach our goal. All I want to say is, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I love each and every one of you._

 _"But specifically to the six of you battling—this_ will _be your toughest match ever. Hau is the Champion for a reason. All I'm asking from you is to not give up. Not for me, but for yourselves. Fight through the pain! You're all capable of doing it—I've seen it. From our battles in Kanto against Sabrina to that battle against Melinda at the Ruins of Hope, you've all impressed me far beyond my imagination. Venusaur knows how far I've come—he gets how important this moment is for all of us._

 _"Now, let's go out there and win this! For me, for all of our friends and family, and…" Niko paused, "For Charlotte, too."_

"Dragon pulse!" Hau roared. Noivern fired yet another purple wave of energy from its massive ears, to which Feraligatr used ice punch to break through it, watching the energy flow to each side. "Dark pulse!"

"Hydro pump!" Niko shouted. Feraligatr released a high-pressured jet of water from his mouth, hitting Noivern directly in the face and causing it to fall backwards towards the ground. "Now, whirlpool!"

"Get up and use dark pulse!" Hau commanded. Noivern tried to quickly stand on its feet before finding itself in the eye of a massive whirlpool that covered nearly a quarter of the battlefield. Suddenly, through the wall of water came a chilling, ice-covered fist that slammed into the Sound Wave Pokémon's chest. Noivern grunted as it fell out of the whirlpool and again onto its back, now in defeat.

"Noivern is unable to battle, Feraligatr is the winner!" the judge declared. "Champion Hau will now use his fifth Pokémon!"

"Raichu, I choose you!" he shouted, summoning an odd-looking mouse-like Pokémon that Niko had never seen before.

"That's a Raichu!" Kaila shouted. "They're really cool looking!"

"Must be an Alola variant," Warren added. "Because Raichu don't look like that where we come from."

" _Bzzzt, Warren is correct. This Raichu is electric and psychic type. It focuses psychic energy into its tail and rides it like it's surfing. Another name for this Pokémon is "hodad_. _"_

This Raichu had lighter coloring on its fur and more rounded features. Its eyes were blue with yellow half-circles along the bottom. It had large yellow ears with an inner spiral toward the base and brown on the inside. These ears were thicker and less pointed than a standard Raichu's ear. In addition to its white belly, this Raichu had white markings on its paws with bright yellow lines between its digits. The lightning bolt-shaped tip of its tail had rounded edges.

"Feraligatr, be careful," Niko said as the Big Jaw Pokémon stepped back. "This will be tough, it seems."

"Raichu, use thunderbolt!" Hau commanded. Raichu jumped around on its tail, generating electricity in its cheeks before firing a concentrated blast of electric energy at Feraligatr. In response, the crocodile-like Pokémon punched forward with ice punch to block the attack, albeit with slight success. "Now, use psychic!"

The Mouse Pokémon's eyes began to glow bright pink as it took control of Feraligatr and lifted him into the air before, at the same time, releasing a slightly weaker thunderbolt, striking Feraligatr in the chest and paralyzing him. Raichu then released his opponent, and Hau's Z-ring burst with energy.

 _Oh no…_ Niko said as the Champion of Alola performed a series of poses similar to Electrium-Z.

"Stoked Sparksurfer!" he shouted. Z-energy transferred to Raichu, causing it to erupt with an orange aura around it. Raichu lit up with electric energy surrounding it and shot high into the air. Hau then pointed forward, and Raichu angled downwards and charged at Feraligatr. When the Mouse Pokémon struck, a column of electricity shot high into the air, with Raichu flying out of it unharmed.

Once the smoke cleared, Feraligatr fell forward in defeat.

"Feraligatr is unable to battle, Raichu is the winner! Niko will now use his fifth Pokémon!"

"Holy hell," Warren said in shock. "That Raichu…"

"Is his ace Pokémon," Charlotte finished. She was worried now. She knew Niko's last two Pokémon. That Raichu could reasonably defeat one, possibly both. It depended on how Niko fought this next match.

"Raichu, return," Hau said. "Crabominable, I choose you!"

"Magneton, you're up!" Niko shouted, summoning his trust Magnet Pokémon. "Use magnet bomb!"

"Block them with power-up punch!" Hau commanded. Crabominable's massive claws started swirling with orange and brown energy before it slammed them into the small, steel-coated magnets, causing them to prematurely explode. "Now use stone edge!"

"Shoot forward, dodge, and use thunderbolt!" Niko commanded. Magneton nodded, buzzing as it zoomed in and out of the pointed stones erupting all around him. He generated electricity as he went, firing it at close range just in time to take a power-up punch to the face. As it turned out, the attack powered up significantly from the magnet bomb. Crabominable was much stronger now. "Use magnet bomb again!"

"Power-up punch!" Hau shouted. Once more, the Woolly Crab Pokémon punched each one, clearly strengthening its attack power. It then slammed a claw into Magneton, rocketing him backwards. Niko realized he made the same mistake twice. Was this going to cost him the match?

"Magneton, keep going buddy. This hurts, I know, but you're so much stronger than that Crabominable. Let's show Hau how we win battles. Magneton, zap cannon!"

"He's going for the finishing blow so quickly?" JJ asked curiously.

Magneton charged up every bit of electricity that it had. Meanwhile, Hau seemed to be thinking about his response. Niko knew he had to have one.

"Stone edge!" He shouted. Crabominable slammed into the ground with both claws, summoning two rows of pointed stones that shot forwards at Magneton. As soon as they struck the Magnet Pokémon, the cannon fired, emitting an ear-piercing sound that lit up the entire stadium with electric light.

Once the smoke cleared, both Magneton and Crabominable lay in defeat.

"Crabominable and Magneton are both unable to battle, Hau and Niko will now send out their final Pokémon!" the judge declared.

"Raichu, I choose you!"

Niko looked down at his pokéball. _Let's win this, friend_. "Venusaur, I choose you!"

This was it. The final battle. Both trainer's ace Pokémon were facing one another. Niko began to sweat a little. He was nervous—the stakes were never this high. He could become the Champion of Alola if he took down one Pokémon.

One. Single. Pokémon.

All across the region, people were tuning in. All of the trial captains not already present at Mount Lanakila—Ilima, Mallow, Lana, Kiawe, Sophocles, and Mina. Melinda was watching from a Pokémon Center in Hau'oli City, before taking off for Hoenn. Aaron watched from his television in Kalos.

Oliver, Elliot, Wally, and Ian all watched from different parts of the world. In Pallet Town, where Fay was currently working on a project, watched with Professor Oak.

In the stands Warren, Poipole, Jake, Brittany, JJ, Maizie, Daisy, Emily, and Sydney watched with suspense.

Charlotte watched, more proud than ever.

"It's up to you, Venusaur. Just like it always has been," Niko said with a mixture of unease and calmness. "This Pokémon is powerful and has the advantage. But they don't know you at your fullest strength. They don't know what you're capable of. Venusaur—mega evolve!"

Niko knew what he was doing. It was going to hurt, but it was worth it. He felt his Key Stone burn on his chest as Venusaur was engulfed in energy, surrounding himself with it and transforming into his mega form.

"Use frenzy plant!" Niko commanded. He was going to go all out here. It was worth it.

"Psychic!" Hau shouted. With an unbelievable amount of energy, Raichu took control of the spiked roots and thrust them back at Mega Venusaur, slapping the Seed Pokémon with them. Niko doubled over from feeling the attack hit his Pokémon. "Now, use focus blast!"

"Agh…" Niko said, collapsing to one knee. This Pokémon was tough. But he—and Venusaur—was tougher. "Use…petal blizzard."

"VENUS!" Venusaur roared, summoning a vortex of pink leaves that struck Raichu—for the first time, it took an attack directly—and knocked it off of its "surfboard" and onto the ground. Raichu looked at Mega Venusaur, glaring menacingly. "Venus," Venusaur said with smugness, realizing that his opponent didn't take hits very often.

"Use solarbeam!" Niko commanded. Venusaur obeyed, gathering up solar energy before firing it at Raichu…

…or he should have. Raichu used psychic to carry Venusaur into the air and thrust him back into the ground. Niko felt pain in his legs as he collapsed onto both knees now.

 _Get up, Niko. Get up, NOW!_ He slowly stood back up, his legs shaking. This was the most pain he had ever felt—more than his battle against Oliver's Greninja in Kalos. "Use…"

Venusaur attacked anyways, understanding Niko's inability to even speak. He felt Niko's thoughts ramming up against his and used frenzy plant accordingly. Again, Raichu took control of the attacks and sent them back. Venusaur winced, as did Niko, who was struggling against his own will to not cry out in pain.

"That's it, we need to try and finish this," Niko said, slowly holding up his Z-ring containing Grassium-Z. "Venusaur…" Niko said, weakly performing the pose for Grassium-Z. "Use Bloom Doom!" he roared.

Venusaur gathered solar energy into the top of his bulb before firing it high into the air. A field of flowers erupted around him, covering the entire battlefield as the beam of light crashed down on Raichu, who promptly fell to the ground.

Niko felt a sudden loss of energy. It wasn't like when he did this same strategy against Melinda. Somehow, Mega evolution and using a Z-move this time felt far more exhausting. He once more collapsed to his knees. He saw Venusaur's legs wobble, just like his did. His vision quickly began to blur. The last thing he noticed was Raichu standing back up, albeit slowly.

Then everything turned black.

* * *

 **Author's Note: The final episode of this season will be tomorrow evening. It was going to be tonight, but I had a lot to get done in preparation for a new job I'm taking on starting Monday. Hope you enjoyed this episode. Let me know what y'all think.**

 **A** **close friend of mine is in the middle of writing a Fantasy story on the sister site to this one. If you're at all interested in fantasy stories, I highly recommend it. It's incomplete, but the author is looking for feedback to help them continue. The story is called FireHeart, and here is the link for the author's page:**

u/1107346/BlitzGirl

 **Enjoy!**


	56. Into the future

**Episode 56: Into the future**

"Is he okay?"

"I think so."

"Guys! He's fine!" Niko finally heard Charlotte's voice. Opening his eyes seemed like a chore at this point. He heard her explaining his connection to mega evolution. Slowly, but surely, he opened his eyes to see the young brunette woman staring down at him with a concerned expression. "Niko! Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" he said, fully opening his eyes to see Charlotte, Warren, his mother and Jake, and Hau and Kukui standing over him. He slowly got up, feeling only minor aches but ultimately fine by the time he sat up. "I passed out, didn't I?"

"Only for a couple of minutes," Kukui replied. "Not enough for it to be serious. We had no idea of your condition."

"My…condition?" Niko asked. He had never considered it a condition before. It was unique and be felt way more in tune with his Pokémon, but never as a "condition." Not that there was anything wrong with that, of course. "Right. Yeah, that happens sometimes. It happened when I was at the Lumiose Conference. It was the first time, actually."

He suddenly remembered why he passed out. His eyes widened, and he looked directly at Hau.

"Who won?"

"I did," Hau said. "It was close for sure, but Venusaur collapsed just after you did, and the judge called it for Raichu. You put up a great fight, though. I haven't had a battle that exciting since…" he turned to Ash, who was standing in the small crowd of Kahunas and Elite 4 members, "well, since you, Ash."

The spiky, black-haired trainer laughed nervously, his Pikachu doing the same.

Niko nodded. He didn't completely expect himself to win. This was always going to be difficult for him. But part of him wanted to be the winner, the Champion.

He just hoped his Pokémon were taking it well.

"Anyway," Hau said. "There isn't much else to say, other than good luck in your next adventures, wherever they take you. I hope we can battle again one day."

"Likewise," Niko said, shaking the Champion's hand. He finally stood up and faced his friends and family. He turned to his mother and Jake first. They simply smiled as they each hugged him.

"We're proud of you," Jake said.

"And so is your father," Daisy said.

Next were Sydney and Warren. Then JJ, Maizie, and Brittany. Then Kaila. "I want to be like you one day, Niko. I want to challenge you to a battle."

"I accept," Niko said with a smile. "But maybe not today."

Finally he looked at Poipole, and then Charlotte. The Poison Pin Pokémon realized what had happened and floated over to hug its trainer. Niko returned the hug, feeling an odd warmth inside of the Ultra Beast. Lastly, he turned to his girlfriend.

"I'm proud of you, too," she said, looking up at Niko. "Always will be."

"Thanks," Niko said, hugging her tightly.

The biggest question for him now was—what next?

* * *

That evening, the group had had one final dinner together before JJ and Maizie would head back to Akala Island, as they had been gone for some time and needed to give their caretaker a break. Plus, they needed to make final preparations for the birth of their child. After the dinner, Niko simply shook his long time friend's hand and smiled. They said nothing other than their farewells. After all, there wasn't much to say anyway.

Niko lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Earlier, before the dinner, he had broken the news to all of his Pokémon. Some were disappointed, but mostly they were sad. Niko did what he could to reassure them, saying that they were nearly there. Venusaur, surprisingly, seemed to take the loss well. This could have been because of how that battle against Raichu had a toll on Niko, or maybe he—like his trainer—understood the uphill battle they had from the start. They had never engaged with a Champion head-on before, at least not like that. His attitude, more than anything, made him proud to be Venusaur's trainer. The Seed Pokémon was wise beyond his years.

After a while, he really started to consider his options. He could re-challenge the Indigo League, hoping to make it past the Elite 4 there. Or he could go out in search of another region, like he had done for the past six years. He wanted to consult with Charlotte, who was bound for Castelia City with her mother.

He wanted to be with her, more than anything. Even if he had to go to Unova, he would. He liked it there and wouldn't mind settling down in Castelia City. He'd be closer to Warren and Sydney. He could finally get a proper education, or find a job working in the battling field. He could even re-challenge the Unova League. After all, he made it to the finals, and could likely make it to the Elite 4 with another shot.

The possibilities were endless.

"What do you think?" Niko asked Charlotte as she laid down next to him. She shrugged.

"I think you mentioned that you wanted to go with Jake to Sinnoh, right?" she said. "He's pretty close to getting all of his badges anyways."

Niko nodded. In his hyperactive state of mind, he completely forgot about that. "You're right! I _could_ do that, actually. Would you want to join us, provided he's okay with it?"

"Oh, of course I would," Charlotte said. "I was only planning on going home if there was no plan. If you want to go somewhere, I'll go with you. Maybe I could challenge some of the gyms there?"

"Actually, it's possible. We'd have to split from Jake after a while so you could collect the first six. Or we could stay there until the Lily of the Valley Conference next year? Either way, you might like Sinnoh, actually."

"Maybe I'll just tag along with you two, provided Jake is alright with it."

"Okay! It's a plan, then," Niko said, finally settling on something. "He's leaving tomorrow, so we need to tell the others first."

They both got up and made their way to Jake's room, just down the hall from theirs. It was still early in the evening, and so it was likely no one was yet asleep. They knocked, and he promptly opened the door.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Jake asked, throwing back some of his red-brown hair. The couple explained their proposition. "Oh, of course you can! I'd love for you two to join me. Niko already knows the area, so it'd be a big help! Charlotte, is your mom alright with it?"

"I haven't asked, but I will in a moment. We just wanted to make sure it was okay with you first."

"Absolutely," Jake said with a smile. "We'll be flying into Veilstone City and heading north to Snowpoint. Niko, you're okay with that?" Niko nodded. "Excellent. Just let me know what happens on your end, and we'll leave tomorrow!"

Next, the couple went to the individual rooms of Emily and Daisy. Charlotte's mother seemed perfectly fine with it, as did Niko's. They only had one more room to hit before going back and packing for their next adventure.

"Wait, you're doing what?" Warren asked. He had a separate room with Sydney during the Lanakila Conference, which worked out well for both couples.

"We're leaving for Sinnoh tomorrow. It was a snap decision, I'm really sorry," Niko said. To his surprise, his friend wasn't angry.

"Niko, Charlotte, I'll always support your decisions. You know that, right? I just hoped to have more time with you both before you leave, that's all."

"Well, we won't be gone that long. Just until the Lily of the Valley Conference to watch Jake. I might try and quickly visit wherever Brittany is to watch a Grand Festival or something, but otherwise only a couple of months. We might visit Castelia after, but that's up to fate right now," Niko explained.

"I hear ya. I'd like to start looking into opening my orphanage. Sydney loves the idea, too!" he said, side-hugging his girlfriend. "I think I might start out doing some freelance writing while I set everything else up."

"I'm just glad you have something you want to do, besides just travelling," Niko said with a grin. He clasped Warren's hand, and the two couples said goodnight before heading to bed.

* * *

Everyone met at the port near Tapu Village the following morning. Boats would take them to Hau'oli City first, and then they would take individual airplanes to their respective destinations.

It had been some time since Niko, Charlotte, and Warren had been to Hau'oli City, where they started their adventure. It had only been eight or so months, but it had felt like an eternity. As they made their way to the airport, they finally parted ways with Kaila.

The goodbyes were emotional for all parties. Kaila was sobbing, with Ruffy trying to comfort her. Eventually, Charlotte stepped forward and hugged her.

"We'll be back, I promise," she said.

"Y-you will?" Kaila asked. Niko and Charlotte both nodded. "Or! Or I could visit you two!"

"We'd love that. Let's keep in touch, though," Niko said, hugging Kaila. "I'm really proud of you, too."

"I'm so glad I got to meet you guys. I don't know where I'd be without you."

This struck Niko particularly hard. No one had ever told him that before. He considered it, for sure, but it had never been spoken _to_ him. He smiled wearily, trying to hold back a few tears.

"Bye, Niko and Charlotte. Oh, and Warren, too!" she said with a giggle.

"There isn't such a thing as goodbye, Kaila," Niko said with a slight grin. "Only 'we'll see each other again.'"

Kaila nodded. "Right! See you later!"

She waved vigorously as the group walked into the airport, where they further split off.

Warren, Sydney, and Emily were headed towards a flight bound for Castelia City, and Daisy was going to Pallet Town, leaving Niko, Charlotte, and Jake at roughly the same time.

They all said farewell to one another. Niko first hugged his mother good-bye. "I'll keep him safe," Niko said in reference to Jake. "We've done this before."

"I know, but I still worry," Daisy said with an exhausted smile.

"As you should," Niko joked. He then turned to Emily and hugged her as well, promising to keep Charlotte safe as well, although she didn't need it in Niko's mind (he didn't say that, though).

Finally was Sydney, and then Warren.

"Well, this is it," Warren said, looking at Niko and Charlotte together. "I'm a much better man because of you two. It's really hard to explain what you guys mean to me."

"Same here," Niko said, going in for a hug. They stood there for nearly a minute. When they let go, Niko hugged Sydney while Warren and Charlotte hugged and said their farewells, too. "Let's keep in touch. I'll let you know how Jake does."

"Oh, we'll be watching. Kill it out there for us, Jake," Warren said with a wink.

"Absolutely," Jake replied.

Then, they all parted ways. Niko, Charlotte, and Jake went to their gate, bound for Veilstone City. There, their new adventure—or current one—would begin.

* * *

"Everything went off smoothly, just like you thought," Hau said, sitting next to Kukui in his home near Hau'oli City. "But still…I can't help but feel as if something just isn't right."

"That's a correct instinct to have," Kukui said, petting his Incineroar as they sat on the porch overlooking the ocean. "Have you heard back from Cynthia yet?"

Hau shook his head. "Last we talked, she was headed for Kalos to meet with Bonnie and Diantha. One of their legendaries, Zygarde, is a natural indicator of disasters, oncoming or in the process of forming. So far, nothing yet."

"Keep me updated, please," Kukui said, sighing. "I just hope everything is just some false alarm."

"I hear you. Alola comes first, of course, but the other regions involved will need to be protected, too, in case this crisis truly is global in scope."

Kukui nodded. They then sat there in silence for a while longer.

* * *

A tall man, entirely dressed in black leather clothing, opened his cape and continued walking forward. His footsteps on the cobblestone earth beneath him were light, but nevertheless powerful. He looked up at the twin columns above him, pointed at their tips. Behind him were two younger people—one man, one woman—also dressed entirely in black, with their faces covered by masks.

"This is it," the woman said in an altered voice.

The man in front nodded and reached into his pocket, smirking.

"Yes, yes, it is. The future is ours with The Godly One."

* * *

 **Author's Note: As you might be able to guess by now, this is not the end. There is still one more season. I will not reveal the title of it until it's released, but I will say this-Season 9 will be split into two parts, but still in the same "story" on this site.**

 **Season 9 will start-tentatively-on May 1st. It will be between 23-24 episodes (I have 23 planned, but I might extend it an episode or two more). Originally my plan was to be done with Season 9 already, but this one took much longer than expected to finish. It might not be everyday, since my life is getting pretty hectic now, but that's why i'll be uploading the next season in a week or so to give me some extra time.**

 **Now, as usual, I'd like to ask y'all about your thoughts on this season, but maybe less formally. What did you like and/or dislike about the season? Did the plot move smoothly? Do you think the characters were developed enough and, if not, who wasn't and why? What can I work on in the future? As always, you are by no means obligated to answer these.**

 **Also, I'd like to thank the followers, favoriters, and reviewers for their contributions to this:**

 **Athios, Chris Dawson, Eeveefan1290, Jolteon2404, Mega Espeon, RubyOmegaGroudon, Silver Espeon, TheArmedShadowYT, Wildstar993, YellowFlashCannon, breath20k, crownkingck, Demon Shadow5000, Flamin'Wolf, Light Flame Blast, and Pokemonmaster3164.**

 **Thanks for sticking around so far. I hope you all do for what will be the final season of this stupidly-long fanfic.**

 **See y'all on May 1st!**

 **-Evanibble**

 **(PS: Season 8 was the longest in word count as of, I think, Episode 54. Fun fact for ya).**


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